Tag Archives: Politics

Shoffner, Wadlin Debate in U.S. Senate Race; Cotton Does Not Show

Posted on by Leave a comment

Story by DDNS Reporters Gracie Lunceford and Kinley Rainwater

In the third and final political debate at ASUTV, Democratic candidate Hallie Shoffner and Libertarian candidate Jeff Wadlin faced off for Arkansas’s Senate seat. Republican incumbent Tom Cotton was invited to join, but did not respond.

Marty Scarbrough moderated the event, with panelists Johnathan Reaves, Lexi Burns, Allie Carson, and Levi Seward.

Hallie Shoffner began the opening-statement segment by sharing her family’s long history of farming in Arkansas.

“I am a sixth-generation farmer. I am the daughter of farmers. I am a wife, a mom, and a caregiver, and I am running to put Arkansas first.”

Shoffner touched on incumbent Tom Cotton’s choices during his time in the Senate, including voting against the farm bill twice, shutting down 25% of family farming operations in Arkansas— including her own.

“I am here because last year I had to close my family’s 150-year-old farm because of the farm crisis. I have lived the rising costs, I have lived the broken system, and I decided I wouldn’t surrender.”

She says showing up for Arkansans is her main commitment every day, not just for the duration of election season.

“If I can’t farm, I’m going to fight for Arkansas. I’m going to fight for you.”

Jeff Wadlin, running as a Libertarian candidate, started his opening statement by establishing his career as an engineer and businessman, working for large corporations such as Sam’s Club and Capital One, and building his own businesses.

“My expertise is in solving complex problems, which is exactly what Washington, DC needs.”

His top concerns included lowering inflation, encouraging economic development, fixing Social Security, and ending foreign wars. Diverting from the two-party system that dominates US government, he wants to give citizens a third option.

“A true pragmatic centrist who’s only interested in solving problems to make everyone healthier and wealthier regardless of where you are on the political spectrum.”

Regarding the absentee incumbent, Wadlin disagrees with Cotton’s choices to support foreign wars at Arkansas taxpayers’ expense.

“He’s happy to take a million dollars from APAC to buy an election, to be an ambassador for Israel, instead of being an ambassador for Arkansas.”

On the panel first was Johnathan Reaves, an instructor of Mass Communications at Arkansas State University and faculty advisor of Delta Digital News Service. After the 76-day partial government shutdown of 2026, Reaves raised a two-part question for Shoffner: “How do you propose that we do not go through government shutdowns again? And second, what are your thoughts on lawmakers getting paid when federal employees are not?”

Shoffner starts with the second part of the question, affirming that she would not accept a salary during government shutdowns.

“I do not believe that if the government is not working, in the same way if an Arkansans does not go to work, we should also not be paid.”

Regarding the first portion of the question, Shoffner says she’s seen citizens across the state feel neglected by Congress. She attributes this to elected officials being more “extreme” than many Arkansans.

“All of us live somewhere in the middle. Look no further than the fact that the last two Congresses have been two of the most unproductive in history…If a government shutdown does occur, I will not take a salary, but I will do everything in my power to ensure that doesn’t happen to the detriment of the people in Arkansas.”

Wadlin attributed these long government shutdowns to conflict between the democratic and republican parties, which leads to other issues such as Social Security going bankrupt and a struggling healthcare system.

“These sorts of things are not acceptable,” Wadlin states. “And certainly, the legislators should not be paid when there is a government shutdown.”

He mentioned that select legislators believe that their yearly salaries of $174,000 aren’t enough, and encourages those who are concerned about making money to pursue other high-paying careers.

“That’s pretty insulting to the average Arkansan who makes 50-60 thousand dollars a year… if they’re so worried about making money, they can vote their conscience, risk being primaried, or risk being voted out, and go be an attorney or a lobbyist, and go make more money.”

In her retort, Shoffner returns to why the shutdown first occurred: disagreement over the Department of Homeland Security. This shutdown unintentionally affected Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, which many rely on to afford groceries. This financial stress affected many Arkansans. Shoffner affirms that, if elected, she would continue traveling between Washington, D.C., and Arkansas to better understand and communicate with citizens about their specific community needs.

“You can only legislate well for the people you represent if you include them in the conversation and give them a seat at the table.”

Reaves asked his second question to Wadlin: “If you were elected, at the end of your first term, what measurable accomplishments should Arkansas voters use to judge whether you’ve earned re-election?”

Wadlin says his main concerns are economic issues that affect everyone, like a balanced-budget amendment and reducing the trillions of dollars in debt.

“I will seek placements on committees like the finance committee, where we need to work on not just balancing the budget, but also bringing the debt down. We need to reduce our deficits. We can’t keep running up these trillions of dollars of debt.”

Additionally, he wants to fund Social Security for senior citizens, make it more lucrative for young people in the long term, and help repair the healthcare system to ensure people across Arkansas have access to affordable healthcare.

In Shoffner’s response to the same question, if elected, she also aims to support the healthcare system by strengthening rural hospitals and protecting Medicaid and Medicare for senior citizens. Veterans are also at the top of her list of priorities.

“The story I hear across Arkansas is too often, they have to fight their own government to get the benefits they have earned.”

Foreign wars and the money spent are also major concerns for her, as is a sustainable food system that would help end the farming crisis and provide neutral, homegrown food for families and schoolchildren alike.

Shoffner says, “I know that is a long list for someone to want to fight for, but this is Arkansas. We have problems, and it’s time for us to have a representative that not only acknowledges and understands those problems, but is willing to fight tooth and nail every single day to solve those issues.”

Wadlin agrees with the sentiment about foreign wars, noting that despite the large sums of money, nothing is changing, and saying, “We need to not be involved in these foreign wars of aggression.”

Lexie Burns, a reporter and co-producer for KASU’s Morning Edition, asked Wadlin about Arkansas’s high maternal mortality rates, with Northeast Arkansas having the highest rate in the state: 16.3 events per 10,000 births. Seeing as Arkansas is the only state in the US not to expand postpartum Medicaid coverage from 60 days to 12 months, Burns asked, “Is expanded Medicaid postpartum coverage something you support? And how would you work with your colleagues to strengthen and increase access to prenatal care during pregnancy and postpartum healthcare?”

Wadlin shared support for expanding postpartum Medicaid coverage and his distaste for the current state of medical insurance in the state.

“Arkansas definitely needs to have 12 months of postpartum care. That’s unacceptable that we were the only state not to do that.”

Wadlin says not everybody is covered by insurance because healthcare is so expensive in the country. He says this cost is most definitely able to be cut.

With lower healthcare costs, Wadlin says everyone would be able to get health insurance, which would in turn help mothers and babies.

The rural healthcare crisis came forward as a harm to maternal health when Wadlin explained the lack of access to emergency and labor and delivery services. He says the fix is to ensure there’s labor and delivery and emergency services within 30 minutes, primary care within 60 minutes, and specialty care within 90 minutes.

While Wadlin says these things are sure to help maternal healthcare, economic development is important to solving these issues. He says wealth helps not only with healthcare, but also with nutrition and crime rates that “make our communities more violent.”

Shoffner supports expanding coverage to 12 months of postpartum care, but she says that’s only part of the problem.

“To be perfectly honest, our healthcare system as a whole is incredibly flawed. And the reason is that too few companies control the entire system.”

Shoffner says the simplest way to change that is to make sure everyone has access to affordable health insurance. She says this can strengthen rural hospitals, and when it does, they will better understand what the community needs, ensuring residents who work there can also live there and give the hospitals a community to serve.

Another important aspect Shoffner emphasizes is ensuring that preventative care, prenatal care, and postnatal care are all covered.

Agriculture remains Arkansas’s biggest industry, generating $ 20 billion annually; despite this, food insecurity in Arkansas remains a troubling and prominent issue. In 2018, Congress extended the Farm Bill three times to fund major programs like SNAP. In September of this year, the bill expired, and no new bill has replaced it.

Burns asked, “Given that Arkansas desperately needs both agriculture protection and nutrition funding, where would you compromise? And, if elected, where would your priorities lie?”

Shoffner began, “I have long been trying to understand the relationship between the fact that our largest industry is agriculture and yet we are the hungriest state in the country.”

She points out that we need an entirely new farm bill and, additionally, a food bill to strengthen the relationship between farmers and their communities. Allowing farmers to sell their crops directly back into their communities provides fresher, healthier food for citizens and is also lucrative for farmers.

“Not only are we growing food that we’re feeding back into the communities in which it is grown, but we are also rebuilding rural economies step by step with a brand new kind of farm bill.”

In Wadlin’s response, he credits the stagnant farm bill to another issue Republicans and Democrats are gridlocked on.

“It’s been years since a farm bill has been passed. And of course, we need to pass a more current farm bill as soon as possible. And this is just another example of… where Republicans and Democrats working together are giving us terrible outcomes.”

He explains how the government can affect farming businesses both directly and indirectly, through high tariffs, rising diesel prices, and “trapping” farmers in low-margin commodity crops.

Shoffner reinforced her support for Arkansas agriculture and her eagerness to put new farming initiatives into place.

“This is an idea that could truly remake the face of Arkansas’s economy and our health and our well-being.”

Allie Carson, an aspiring multimedia journalist and student, raised concerns in agriculture for newly emerging professionals out of college.

“What specific steps would you take in the Senate to help farmers remain comfortable, support that next generation of agriculture professionals, and to prevent trade policies from further hurting Arkansas?”

Shoffner says the first step is ending the war in Iran. She says incumbent Tom Cotton wants this war and refuses to end it, however.

“To be clear, this is the war that Tom Cotton has wanted in the last 14 years. He finally got it, and we are paying the price. And some of the folks paying the price are not just families at the gas station. It’s also farmers who are buying fertilizer; they’re buying diesel.”

Beyond the Iran war, Shoffner says the second step is to end the “chaotic” trade war. She explains that input costs for farmers and families have skyrocketed not only because of the tariffs, but also because of the retaliations that followed.

That said, Shoffner also points out that tariffs can be useful if used strategically. She says this is especially true for sensitive crops, such as rice.

For her third point, Shoffner returned to her previously mentioned farm, or “food bill.” She says she wants to ensure farmers can diversify into more crops by giving them risk-management tools so they can take risks on other crops and build more infrastructure.

The mass consolidation of farmland in Arkansas is Shoffner’s last concern. She says farmers are going out of business, and when they do, high-net-worth individuals and corporations consolidate the land.

“And that’s dangerous because land is the foundation of our whole system. Now, I am all for folks doing whatever they please with their own property. But we have to consider, at what point does mass land consolidation constitute market manipulation, and constitute human monopoly?”

Shoffner says she wants to keep the land in the hands of active Arkansas farmers, and she believes those four actions can do that.

Wadlin started by reinforcing Shoffner’s ideas, such as passing a farm bill, ending tariffs, and ending the war in Iran. However, he says that alongside those options, we need to stop regulating and subsidizing to ensure farmers can get into crops, livestock, and other profitable industries.

Wadlin also adds that many farming inputs are highly consolidated. He cites Bayer’s 2018 acquisition of Monsanto as an example.

Wadlin feels right-to-repair laws need to change to better support farmers and allow more independence.

“If a farmer buys a tractor or a combine, they should be able to repair that themselves. They should be able to get the manuals for a reasonable price. 
They should be able to buy their own parts and have their own technician do the repairs. They should not be held captive to large equipment manufacturers.”

Shoffner brought the conversation back to rural communities. She says if a farm bill passes that allows for more infrastructure, that’s great, but these communities still need investment in their schools, hospitals, roads, waterways, sewers, and electrical grids.

“One of the things I’d like to do is set up an office to provide technical assistance for our cities and counties to be able to apply for federal grants to ensure they can build that kind of foundation that they need to build the industry that’s going to provide new jobs, new wages, in communities that right now are struggling.”

Carson’s next question focused on the rising cost of living and the pressure it puts on young adults leaving college.

“What specific federal policy would you support to help college graduates afford to build lives in Arkansas?”

Wadlin says the blame for the rising cost of living is on multiple things, and he never hears his opponents mention debt or the Federal Reserve.

Wadlin says the debt and the Federal Reserve are invisibly driving inflation, which is driving up costs.

Specifically about the debt, Wadlin brings up the Big Beautiful Bill as an example. He says we raised 5 trillion dollars, yet we’re spending 7 trillion dollars, leaving a 2 trillion dollar deficit that adds to the debt, which is now up to 40 trillion dollars. He says government spending money they don’t have is inflationary and will cause a crisis down the road for young adults, since someone has to take on that debt.

Wadlin explained that every time we have a hiccup like the 2008 banking crisis or the 2020 pandemic, the Fed prints more money to try and soften the landing for citizens. He says this is also inflationary and that since 2020, the money supply has risen 50%, which, according to Wadlin, results in a ⅓ paycheck cut for citizens.

“..And so, this is the type of thing that needs to be addressed. The Fed needs stricter monetary policies so they’re not so loose with printing money whenever there’s an economic blip. And those are the things that I’m going to be focused on in the Senate.”

Shoffner says that although they have already talked about building an economy in general, ultimately, when a student graduates, they want a job with a good wage, a home, health insurance, and a vehicle. However, the current situation is making this very difficult, according to Shoffner.

According to Shoffner, she has met many college students who feel that they are doing everything they are supposed to do, but aren’t seeing the benefits. She says this is because a rigged system has failed them and continues to fail them, benefiting the powerful rather than the citizens.

“It’s not because they failed. It’s because the system is rigged against them,” says Shoffner. “And it’s been rigged by and in favor of politicians like Tom Cotton and his biggest donors and his own national political ambitions, instead of the people of Arkansas, instead of young people. That has to change.”

While ending the Iran war and the trade war might lower costs, Shoffner says economic development in places like Jonesboro and continued support for the city as it grows are also important. She points to housing as a concern.

Shoffner says we need more affordable housing, and she suggests more infill housing. She says we need houses that young people can afford to buy.

“Because one of the most important things that you can do is live in the place that you work,” says Shoffner.

Shoffner herself has met too many young adults who have to drive up to an hour to get from their home to their workplace, and she says, “That means they’re just shoving their paycheck into their gas tanks. I want to change that.”

According to Shoffner, affordable housing is within reach. She says it just needs to start with having the conversation with young people and contractors to start getting creative.

“We just need to start having this conversation, and until we have new representation, I don’t think that’s going to happen.”

Wadlin says Social Security reform is on his to-do list. He says the payroll tax that funds Social Security is our most regressive tax and says that the burden falls primarily on the young people.

“That’s 15% right off the top that they’re paying for the healthcare and retirement of their grandparents.”

According to Wadlin, his proposal to expand children’s investment accounts would allow the payroll tax to taper over time. He says this idea would save young people, in particular.

Wadlin also agrees there is room for concern about economic development. He says that is the major difference between a struggling community and a thriving community. Wadlin says his approach is to work with state and local officials to bring more economic development from across the country, or even the world, back to Arkansas.

Levi Seward, a political science and philosophy student and President of Arkansas State University’s Pre-law club, was the final panelist.

“Should domestic lobbying groups that heavily advance a foreign state’s policy goals, such as AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee), be required to register under FARA (Foreign Agents Registration Act)?” asked Seward.

Wadlin says they should absolutely have to register, and that in general we need to get away from the foreign influence of super PACs such as AIPAC that are aligned with foreign governments.

Wadlin says Citizens v. United needs to be overturned. He says it was wrongly decided and that he will work to get it overturned in the Senate. He says it just needs to be re-litigated.

Technically, there is a $3,500 limit on how much money you can donate to a federal candidate’s campaign. Wadlin says this is due to the quid pro quo because in the court’s eyes, he says they see it as, “You gave me that money and now I owe you a big favor.” He says this remains true of super PACs.

“When AIPAC funds attack ads against Tom Cotton’s opponents, he knows where that money comes from, and he certainly owes them a favor, and he certainly is repaying those favors daily,” says Wadlin.

Shoffner starts by agreeing with Wadlin. She says she supports ensuring anti-corruption laws in our Constitution, reforming campaign financing, and overturning Citizens United.

Shoffner says she wants to take this a step further, however. She says she believes in term limits for Congress and for Supreme Court justices as well as ethics laws. Shoffner says she believes in ending stock trading among cabinet appointees and justices, not just for elected officials.

Shoffner stated if chosen, she will put everything that she and her husband own into a true blind trust. She will not be able to touch those things for as long as she holds the seat.

“…so that the people of Arkansas know that whatever information I hear in any room in the halls of power, I will not be able to use that to enrich myself. I want the people of Arkansas to know that I am going to Washington, D.C., not for myself, not for some political game, or political points. This is all about the people of Arkansas and fighting for them and not Washington insiders.”

On Wadlin’s side, he says he already has his stocks in index funds, so trading individual stocks shouldn’t be a problem for him. However, he agrees that legislators should not trade stocks.

Wadlin mentions political gerrymandering as a major concern. He says that regardless of which side it comes from, it’s bad for democracy. According to Wadlin, neutral boards should make those decisions to ensure fairness and representation for all voters.

Seward notes the incumbents’ lack of attendance and uses it for his next question.

“If he were sitting here right now, what is the single vote or decision of his you’d make him defend? And what answer would you expect from him?”

Shoffner says that she couldn’t possibly think of just one. She says she thinks of the war in Iran, the loss of healthcare, the support of the chaotic trade war. She says it’s because he voted for the one Big Beautiful Bill. Shoffner says it goes beyond just voting for it, though.

“Tom Cotton didn’t just vote for the one Big Beautiful Bill; his name is on the bottom of it,” says Shoffner.

As for his answer, Shoffner says it’s exactly why he didn’t show up. She says he cannot answer for it, whether it’s fear, a lack of care, or both. Shoffner says neither works for Arkansas.

According to Shoffner, after a bad meeting in Springdale 10 years ago, incumbent Cotton stopped holding town hall meetings, and now Arkansas has gone 9 ½ years without a single one.

Wadlin starts off his response by reiterating his feelings on the incumbent.

“As I said in the last debate, Tom Cotton is a coward and a hypocrite for not being here. And there is a long laundry list of things that he’s doing that are terrible for Arkansans.”

In Wadlin’s eyes, a large part of the blame for the Iran war falls on incumbent Cotton.

Cotton was one of the most vocal and prominent opponents of the JCPOA, and Wadlin says he tried to scuttle it while it was being negotiated. When it was ripped up in Trump’s first term, Cotton was in full support but with nothing to replace it, Iran began enriching their uranium again according to Wadlin.

With Cotton often saying, “we need to finish the job militarily,” Wadlin asks what that really means.

“Did we finish the job militarily in Afghanistan? Did we finish the job militarily in Iraq? We need to stop these foreign wars of aggression that are unwinnable.”

Wadlin feels that Cotton is not working for the average Arkansan, but for the powerful and the wealthy.

Some examples of this were given, such as Cotton’s support of the Protect College Sports Act, which Wadlin feels is unfair to college athletes.

“In every decision where Tom Cotton can go left or right, and make a decision for the little guy or the big guy, he’s always going to leave Arkansans in a lurch.”

Shoffner starts her response by saying there’s one thing she can point to that Cotton says he’s done: building the munitions plant in East Camden.

Shoffner admits this created 5000 jobs, but the hospital 15 minutes away is in bankruptcy proceedings and has laid off 40 people. She says Camden wants people to move there, but the industry that was built up hasn’t actually benefited the community.

According to Shoffner, a senator’s job is to negotiate with the state, the cities, the counties, and the industries to ensure no one takes wealth without giving anything back in return.

The industry Shoffner points to is the food industry. She says Cotton doesn’t understand the connection between farming and food.

“Let’s put a farmer in the Senate, and we can change that,” says Shoffner.

Closing statements began with Wadlin, who says voters will have an option between two parties that have swapped power for the last 40 years, and he says, have gotten Arkansans nowhere.

Wadlin reiterates his reasoning, from Social Security and health care, agriculture, foreign wars, inflation, and stagnant income. He says everyone is angry with each other.

“They say that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. You can vote Democrat or Republican; it doesn’t really matter. We’ll just end up with the same old failed policies that have gotten us nowhere.”

Wadlin offers another option.

“Or you can vote differently this time. You can make a statement. Are you afraid of splitting the vote?”

250 years ago, our forefathers were willing to go to war to stop a government that wasn’t working for them, according to Wadlin. He says this time you just need to vote differently to have a “peaceful revolution at the ballot box.”

Wadlin ended with a final quote.

“We can build a brighter future, but only if we do it together. United we will stand, but divided we will fall.”

Shoffner targets her closing to the students. She says she already introduced herself, and she wants to talk about you now.

Shoffner says she has met many people on the campaign trail over the last year and a half, and many of those stories were hard to hear. She said tears were shed, some of them being hers, but at the end of every conversation, she hears the word “hope.”

Arkansans have hope for a better future, whether through her campaign or hope for Arkansas, and Shoffner says that hope is powerful.

While many people may feel powerless and like no one is listening, Shoffner says people are listening. They are just scared.

“When we speak with one voice, that is how change happens for the better,” says Shoffner.

Early voting has officially started and will go until November 2nd. National Election Day is November 3rd, and voters in Craighead County can cast their ballots at the Election Annex, 315 W. Jefferson Street, Jonesboro, AR, open from 7:30 am to 7:30 pm.

Green, Parsons Face Off in Debate on ASU-TV

Posted on by Leave a comment

Story by DDNS Reporters Gracie Lunceford and Kinley Rainwater

U.S Representative Arkansas District 1 Democratic Challenger Dr. Terri Yarbrough Green.
U.S. Representative Arkansas District 1 Libertarian Candidate Dr. Steve Parsons

October 8th marked the second political debate at Arkansas State University. In the race for U.S. House District 1, candidates Dem. Terri Yarbrough Green and Lib. Steve Parsons attended, while Representative Rick Crawford declined. 

Jonathan Reaves moderated the event, with the same four panelists as last week’s debate: LaGanzie Kale, Samantha Mitchell, Allie Carson, and Levi Seward. Both candidates agreed to the debate terms: a 2-minute opening statement, 2 minutes for each panelist’s question, an additional minute for the initial candidate to respond, and a 3-minute closing statement.

Green opens by saying she is a “semi-retired pathologist,” not a politician. She describes herself as a wife, mother, grandmother, and daughter of a World War II veteran.

“I am more comfortable behind a microscope than a microphone, which I think is a good thing.”

Green says she has practiced pathology in northeast Arkansas since 1988, and as a doctor, they are taught to look for what isn’t working and find a way to fix it. 

Green says when she looks at America, and looks at Arkansas, she sees things that need fixing.

She says she sees farmers being “squeezed by forces beyond their control,” farm bankruptcies, families stretched by costs of housing, healthcare, groceries, fuel and childcare.

Green mentions struggling rural hospitals and how many are closing. She criticizes the incumbent for the worsening situation. 

“The incumbent has had 16 years to do something about these problems,” stated Green. “They have only gotten worse. And I hope tonight to draw a distinction between what the incumbent has and has not done. And what I would like to do for the people of the 1st district of Arkansas.”

Parsons begins his opening statement by explaining how being a third-party candidate has made it difficult to find platforms to voice his stances. Growing up in a small, family-owned business shaped his core politics. 

“We lived on 17 cents an hour,” stated Parsons. “All the money that we earned went back into building that business…My parents complained the taxes and regulations made it increasingly difficult to create many new jobs. They believed that both political parties had failed them.”

He went on to earn two fellowships that let him attend a writing school for a PhD in economics, then made a living helping companies around the globe make business decisions, doing corporate training, and teaching the economics of technology at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. 

Parsons’ campaign focuses on offering voters another choice aside from the typical two-party system that controls the U.S. government. 

“Voters deserve another choice besides the two parties that have a stranglehold on politics in this country…My campaign is about less government and more freedom.” 

The first panelist was LaGanzie Kale, founder of Jonesboro’s first minority-owned radio station KLEK. His first question concerns how the democratic party has struggled to connect with rural voters, and asked, “Is that because rural voters misunderstand democratic policies, or because the Democratic Party has fundamentally lost touch with the values and priorities? What is your party getting wrong?”

Green couldn’t answer for her party; she says she just knows what rural voters need.

“I’ve been visiting throughout the district and talking with people in rural areas so that I know everything,” stated Green. “And what I discovered that, uh, rural areas need is infrastructure, maybe clean water, sewer systems, roads that are passable, jobs, but they’re not going to get businesses to go back into rural areas, uh, to provide those jobs if you don’t have clean water.”

Since Parsons is a libertarian candidate, Kale clarified his question to, “What do you think the libertarian party can do that the other parties are not doing?” 

Parsons explained that two years ago, 97% of U.S. House incumbents won their races, making it a difficult jurisdiction to compete in. He says the issues most important to rural voters also matter to all Americans. For instance, stopping the surplus of money in corporate welfare. 

“Part of the reason that’s important in more rural areas is, there are not big corporations in rural America in general, and certainly not new corporations in the vast majority of rural areas in District 1,” said Parsons.

He went on to talk about reducing federal regulations because smaller local companies can’t fully understand them. 

“That’s because if you’re a large company, you can specialize in bringing someone who understands the regulations. Small companies can’t do that.” 

Green responded to say that she totally agrees with reducing the burden of regulations, especially in areas such as healthcare.

Kale’s second question regards raising the federal minimum wage. “Many small businesses in rural Arkansas operate on extremely thin margins. What should happen to a small business that genuinely cannot afford a federally mandated wage increase? Would you accept business closures or job losses as a necessary trade-off, or what else would you do to help alleviate that?”

Green made it clear first that she would not accept job losses or closures as a result of raising the minimum wage. She says she would like to see something gradual and with safeguards in place.

Green says part of the problem with wealth inequality and why people can’t afford things isn’t the living wage; it’s the expenses of other things. 

She stated there has to be a way to get back to the economy that allows for comfortable, one-income households. 

In Parsons’ response, he says many well-intentioned policies have unintended consequences and proposes other steps instead of a minimum wage. 

The next panelist was Samantha Mitchell, an Arkansas State alum and news director for KASU public radio. Her first question for Dr. Parsons focused on ensuring everyday voters have the same resources to make their voices heard as those with political influence. “How will you ensure that a single parent working two jobs, a senior living on a fixed income, or a resident of a small rural community has the same opportunity to influence your decisions as someone with political power?” 

Parsons describes the issue as “amazingly difficult,” and part of his solution is to recognize the varying circumstances that affect policymaking. 

“I will try to recognize the nature of the diversity and the geographic areas in which people live, and what their circumstances are, and propose good policies that correspond to dealing with circumstances.”

He continued by discussing inflation control and how to “neuter the Federal Reserve” as part of his policies. 

“(The Federal Reserve) is the one that has the greatest long-term influence on inflation, because they have control over the money supply,” said Parsons. “There have been massive increases in the money supply over the last six years or so, and that is at its heart one of the basic causes of inflation.”

Green believes the government exists to level the playing field and ensure corporations don’t have a louder voice than working people. 

Green mentioned reversing the Citizens United decision as a possible way to help, along with getting the money out of politics, including stock trading in Congress. 

Green mentions that ensuring rounds around the district are done is important for a representative, especially during breaks. She says this helps elevate individuals’ voices over corporations. 

Mitchell’s next question raised concerns about Flock cameras and government surveillance. “At what point does a public safety tool become an infringement on individual freedom, and who should have the authority to make that determination?” 

Parsons argued that although the cameras are technically legal, those legal interpretations do not match his views. He continued, saying that any jurisdiction with data from these surveillance tools should be held to a higher standard to ensure the data is not abused. 

“Perhaps there needs to be a law passed to make it easier for people to sue when (infringement of privacy) happens,” stated Parsons.

Green argued that the individual right to privacy should be “paramount,” although she understands the need for security and public safety. 

With the creation and implementation of AI and facial recognition, Green says the amount of data the government has on us is frightening.

“I do not trust that the people that have that information are going to use it wisely,” stated Green. “I think we need much more regulation in place, and to protect the individuals working for us.”

In his rebuttal, Parsons states, “I want government to be at the lowest geographical level possible.” 

He follows by explaining that the federal government is “bureaucratic” and that he hopes laws, like those concerning flock cameras, are championed at the local level. 

Allie Carson, editor of A-State newspaper The Herald, was the third panelist. Her first question went to Green and addressed the growing university population and rural communities. Carson asks, “How would you balance the needs of those two populations when making federal policy?” 

Green says that, although difficult, balance is key. 

Policy can help residents by building infrastructure, and Green says the university can help with that. 

“I think it’s better when you don’t separate those needs, that these needs are different than those needs, but to look at the system as a whole, and how they interact, and different parts of the system benefit from another,” stated Green. 

Parsons began by saying he believes this is another example where the federal government should have little role. He says that at the local level, rules should be established early so they don’t change people’s incentives. 

As Arkansas State University is one of the largest economic drivers in northeast Arkansas, Carson’s second question to Green was “What role do you believe the government should play in supporting the university?”

Green says that when she was in school, student loans were interest-free until you had a job and could pay them back, when they began to accrue interest.

Now she says students are being asked to take out loans that, by the time they retire, they still owe as much as they did originally. 

Green says the government has a responsibility to educate citizens and provide low-interest or no-interest loans. 

Parsons responded that the American public has been sold a “bill of goods” to entice them into earning a four-year degree in college, but he claims that this belief is incorrect. He encourages universities to have “more skin in the game.” 

“If you have a student who graduates from your university, in whatever program it is, if they can’t make the loan…(the university) would have to repay part of that loan…it incentivizes them pushing students to more productive degrees you can earn a living in,” stated Parsons. 

The federal government provides grants for basic research. Green says the current administration is slashing many of these, and without the ability to advance knowledge, other countries are recruiting American scientists. 

Levi Seward, president of A-State’s pre-law club and an aspiring law school student asked his first question for Parsons, discussing the statement found on Parsons’ 2024 campaign website claiming that Social Security is “the worst social program ever created,” and that “Congress has an ethical responsibility to avoid cutting benefits.” 

As the national libertarian party moves toward phasing out the program, Seward asks Parsons, “Do you support phasing out Social Security?” 

Parsons replied that Social Security is “one of the hardest nuts to crack” because of its complexity and said action should’ve been taken long ago to avoid “not be in the circumstance we’re in.” This concern grows as the Social Security fund approaches running out by 2032.

Green says we may be in a bad situation with Social Security but that we’re stuck with it, so we need to fix it. 

Although she admits there are many proposed ways to do so, Green says she will not advocate for or go into detail on any of them. 

Parsons says he might have been exaggerating when he called Social Security the worst program, but believes the program “should’ve been recognized as a failed pyramid scheme.”

In 2024, Representative Crawford was involved in a class-action lawsuit over congressional pay. Seward’s second question for Parsons is, “Should members of Congress get a pay raise, why or why not?” 

Parsons described this question as exceptionally easy to answer, with a strong no. He notes that Crawford also sued for an increase in back pay, which Parsons finds “repugnant”. 

Green said “no” to Congress receiving a pay raise. 

“I don’t think that congressional pay should be increased until tax dollars are going to the people and we have an economy that is working for the working people,” according to Green.

Parsons did not disagree with Green and pointed out that the national debt is now three times what it was when Rep. Crawford first ran for office. He proposes that Congress’ pay should depend on whether it ends up with a deficit. 

“I would love to see it where if you end up with a deficit, you get no pay,” stated Parsons. 

The national midterm election is on November 3rd, including the vote for the House of Representatives. For voters in Craighead County, ballots can be cast at the Election Annex, 315 W. Jefferson Avenue in Jonesboro, from 7:30 am to 7:30 pm. 

Copenhaver addresses City Stars concerns

Posted on by

Story by DDNS Reporter Jerry Don Burton

February 4, 2026

Jonesboro Mayor Harold Copenhaver.

 Jonesboro Mayor Harold Copenhaver addressed previous concerns and responded to new complaints about the City Stars booster club during the City Council meeting.

Public and council interest in City Stars remained high at the Tuesday, Feb. 3 city council meeting. Discussion began with Copenhaver’s response to Public Facilities Board Chairman Matt Modelevsky’s presentation at the last meeting.

Copenhaver’s response

“ My responsibility as mayor is to administer city-operated programs, which City Stars was not, in accordance with city council-approved budgets,” Copenhaver said. “I presented verifiable facts, not feelings, not understandings or beliefs like many of the documents presented at the previous city council meeting contained.”

At the previous meeting, Modelevsky said Copenhaver failed to respond to past concerns he raised about City Stars and Danny Kapales, the now-resigned parks director who ran the program.

The City Stars booster club, a youth sports program, was created in 2001. Copenhaver said the original agreement between Jonesboro and the booster club was approved by the council in 2004. He said this contract established mutual agreements, such as the shared goal of providing athletics at no cost for Jonesboro youth.

Despite a shared vision for youth athletics in Jonesboro, Copenhaver said City Stars operated independently.

“Their revenue was their money, their business, not the city’s,” Copenhaver said. “ Fiduciary duties fall to the boards and management of private nonprofit organizations and cannot be delegated, giving them full and exclusive authority over their own money and how it is handled and how their chart of accounts is organized and how their accounting entries are made. Look it up.”

Copenhaver said he asked the management of City Stars to voluntarily undergo an audit, to which they agreed. The Thomas Speight and Noble firm completed the audit and presented it in June 2025. 

“ The independent auditor’s report expressed the opinion that the City Stars financial statements present fairly in all material respects and assets, liabilities, net assets of the City Stars Booster Club,” Copenhaver said. “ In other words, clean audit.”

On Dec. 5, 2025, the City Stars board announced the club will cease operations as a private, 501(c)(3) nonprofit and will transfer operational responsibilities, including banking accounts, funds and sports equipment, to the city of Jonesboro.

Copenhaver said now should be an exciting time for the program and the upcoming generations who will make use of City Stars. 

“Moving forward means moving beyond the past, and now we need to focus,” Copenhaver said.

However, in the public comments that followed, several citizens expressed a desire to stay on the topic of City Stars. 

Public comments

Jeremy Terrell, who ran for Jonesboro mayor in 2024, addressed Copenhaver and said he does not understand why some act like the investigation is not a big deal. He said the mayor has the responsibility to ensure taxpayer money goes to organizations that act in the best interest of the public.

“This is about the responsibility that you hold and that the city council hold to make sure that taxpayer’s money is being dealt with in a manner that is proper and legal,” Terrell said. “So those of us that are asking questions, we deserve answers, period.”

Bill Campbell, who previously served as the mayor’s communication director, said citizens should exercise patience and not jump to conclusions during a federal investigation. 

“I don’t know what the answers are. I do know that you have a mayor who has had clean audits every time,” Campbell said. “So I think I would lean on that and we can’t pretend we know something different.”

Dean Macdonald, a Jonesboro native, said he agrees with Terrell that any allegations of misconduct are serious and should be investigated. However, he said some of the discourse surrounding the investigation has broken down recently. 

Following comments from the public, many city council members voiced support for Copenhaver, but agreed communication must be improved.

Council member comments

LJ Bryant, Ward 5, Position 1 council member, said the public clearly cares and the situation should not be dismissed as something minor. 

“Despite any of the gaslighting going on tonight, the FBI didn’t show up for no reason. So we’re in a very serious situation and as the stewards of the taxpayer’s resources, I feel like we have to take action,” Bryant said.

Joe Hafner, Ward 5, Position 2 council member, said while he supports Copenhaver, the mayor should not have let concerns go unresolved for so long.

“I think that’s one thing that definitely needs to be improved and that’s let something fester, it turned from a little snowball into a big avalanche,” Hafner said. “And now that we got the public here with eroded public trust, just frustrated, the problems have escalated. I don’t take that lightly.”

Ward 2, Position 2 City Council Member Chris Moore said many issues would be absent today if Copenhaver addressed concerns sooner. He said trust should be restored between the council, mayor and community.

Hafner said the relationship between the mayor and council is built on trust. He said they must be transparent with each other.

Copenhaver said he understands many people had honest questions about the City Stars operation. He said while he never meant to come off as dismissive of these questions, the city council never had the answers. 

“Those questions should be properly directed to its own officers and board of directors, which had the full fiduciary responsibilities and duties. The mayor’s office did not have answers about the accounting or handling of money of City Stars,” Copenhaver said. “Part of all the confusion has come from people asking questions or emailing or texting complaints and concerns about City Stars to the wrong place.”

Anthony Coleman, Ward 6, Position 1 council member, said while he appreciated Copenhaver sharing his side at the meeting, he believes the council does have a responsibility to ask questions and look into City Stars. 

“ Maybe not handling a lot of it fiduciarily, but we do have a responsibility to share, to talk, to ask questions, to make certain that we are doing what’s right for our children,” Coleman said.

Chris Gibson, Ward 3, Position 2 council member, said the council has a good platform to build on moving forward and the future is optimistic.

Copenhaver said he appreciated the input from the council and is always up for constructive criticism.

“I apologize to this city council because the last thing I ever want to do is draw a wedge between us because that does not benefit our community,” Copenhaver said. 

Looking ahead, Copenhaver said he is excited for the future of City Stars under the leadership of Jim Stearns, interim director of parks and recreation. 

Other business

In other business, Copenhaver announced InnovAsian Cuisine Enterprise Inc. will construct a frozen food manufacturing facility in Jonesboro. He said this development will create about 200 jobs.

The council also read the following ordinances:

  • On first reading:
    • Ordinance 26:004 would amend a zoning ordinance providing for changes in zoning boundaries from R-1 to RS-7 for a property at 1306 Charles Drive. 
  • On second reading:
    • Ordinance 26:001 would change the zoning boundaries from R-1 to C-3 general commercial district for a property at 2620 Alexander Drive.
    • Ordinance 26:002 requested approval of a private club permit for Monarca’s Mexican restaurant.
    • Ordinance 26:003 requested approval of a private club permit for Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux.

The Jonesboro City Council meets at 5:30 p.m. on the first and third Tuesdays of each month at the Jonesboro Municipal Center. Meetings are also livestreamed on the City of Jonesboro Facebook page.

Jonesboro woman says father buried in wrong grave, raising oversight concerns

Posted on by

Story by DDNS Reporter Benjamin McDowell

JONESBORO, Ark. — A Jonesboro woman told city leaders her father was buried in the wrong grave, raising concerns about oversight and recordkeeping at a municipal cemetery.

During public comment, LaToya Yarber told Council members her father was buried in the wrong grave at Oakland Cemetery and must now be exhumed and reburied.

“How do you expect me to trust you,” Yarber asked, “when my father lies in a grave that does not belong to him?”

Yarber said the mistake disrupted her family’s ability to grieve.

“For the last week of my life, where I was supposed to be grieving my father, has been disrupted,” she said. “It is unfair to my 81-year-old mama to have to be going through this .”

City officials said they have met with the family and aim to correct the burial mistake, including covering the full cost of exhumation, raising questions about how cemetery records are maintained.

“If you want to do something for the city of Jonesboro, get the records together so that we will know where our people are or where they’re supposed to be,” Yarber said.

Other public comments surrounded concerns about city operations. Patty Lapp said she worried about a lack of financial reporting from a volleyball tournament.

“We don’t really know where those numbers are,” Lapp said. “It needs to be crystal clear what is spent and what is taken in.”

Linda Wright said she is concerned about supervision at sports events, saying children should always be protected.

“I’m just wondering why we are spending money on these tickets,” Wright said. “I just wonder what kind of supervision is going on out there.”

Eugene Holloway, of Marshall Street, said housing conditions are deteriorating and urged the council to take action.

“People are living in terrible conditions,” Holloway said. “We’ve got to do something here.”

Despite concerns raised, the council continued its routine business. Members approved resolutions requesting City Water and Light provide free utility services at 423 W. Huntington Ave. and 6106 Southwest Drive. The resolutions allow utilities to be provided at no cost for projects serving a public or governmental purpose, a common practice for city infrastructure such as lighting and municipal facilities.

Several zoning ordinances advanced, including a request to rezone property at 1601 Granger Drive to allow it to be split for two single-family homes.

A new ordinance, 26013, would establish a Sports Advisory Committee, outlining its membership, purpose and duties. The measure received its first reading and will return for further consideration. Other ordinances concerned traffic signage and zoning changes.

During council reports, Anthony Colman, (Ward 6, Position 1), highlighted growth in Jonesboro but raised concerns about east-side infrastructure and speeding.

“There’s a lot of traffic, and there’s a lot of speeding going on,” Colman said. “I’d like for us to consider another study.”

Mayor Harold Copenhaver highlighted ongoing projects, including a six-month downtown traffic pilot program.

“We’ve had a lot of input – most of it is very positive,” Copenhaver said of the Main Street project, noting the evaluation of Washington Avenue will involve public surveys and comments.

Officials also continued work on Plan Jonesboro, a long-term development strategy focused on growth, infrastructure and quality-of-life improvements.

“Please visit PlanJonesboro.com to ensure your voice is heard,” Copenhaver said. He also noted recent meetings in Washington, D.C., with federal officials to discuss funding for public safety, infrastructure and economic development projects.

The council recognized City Clerk April Leggett for her 10 years of service, praising her support in maintaining city records. While the meeting covered routine business, Yarber’s comments highlighted a deeper issue of human impact and public trust. City officials said they will continue reviewing the cemetery issue as questions remain.

-30-

Hispanic Center Addresses Fear as Immigration Concerns Rise in Jonesboro

Posted on by

Story by DDNS Reporter Benjamin McDowell

Staff members from the Hispanic Center pose outside their facility in Jonesboro, highlighting the organization’s role in supporting local families amid growing community concerns. Photo courtesy of The Hispanic Center via Facebook.

JONESBORO, Ark. — As immigration enforcement concerns grow in Jonesboro and across the country, leaders at the Hispanic Center say fear keeps some families from going to school, seeking medical care or accessing basic services. Immigration enforcement policies and increased activity by Immigration and Customs Enforcement have created uncertainty for many immigrant families, including those in northeast Arkansas.

The Hispanic Center is a nonprofit organization that serves the Hispanic community in Jonesboro, as well as others in need. The center offers services such as after-school programs, interpretation, translation, English classes, computer training and health fairs. The center also provides legal consultations, mental health sessions, and community events, while assisting families with food, transportation and housing support.

Carolina Elmore, assistant director at the Hispanic Center, said, “We serve the Hispanic community primarily, but we help anyone in need regardless of ethnicity, religion or race.”

Elmore said the Hispanic Center is a place she wants people to feel they could depend on anytime.

“We provide interpretation in hospitals, schools and legal settings so people who don’t speak English can still access essential services. Language is one of the biggest barriers, and we try to bridge that gap every day,” Elmore said.

Elmore said the Hispanic Center acts as a bridge between schools, the Hispanic community and local institutions. The center partners with local universities and organizations to provide students with educational support and expose them to career opportunities.

Elmore said one of the biggest challenges for the Hispanic Center has been increased activity by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“A lot of people are afraid to seek services because of immigration concerns. Some parents are even scared to send their kids to school or go to the doctor. We try to create a safe space where families feel supported despite those fears,” Elmore said.

Due to concerns about ICE, many community members are afraid to seek help or services at the Hispanic Center out of fear of being detained. That fear reflects what many immigrant communities are experiencing across the country, where enforcement actions can affect access to education, health care and other essential services. The center often works with churches and community partners to provide safe spaces and trusted environments for families.

“We help families with everything, from enrolling their kids in school to making doctor’s appointments. Sometimes it’s as simple as helping fill out a form, but that can change everything for a family,” Elmore said.

Elmore said she wants to continue serving her community during challenging times tied to immigration enforcement.

“Everything we do is about helping families feel supported, connected and valued in this community,” Elmore said.

Leo Hernández, program coordinator, helps facilitate the after-school program, which allows children to catch up on homework and receive tutoring.

“La Escuelita is here to support kids from kindergarten through ninth grade with their homework and academics. A lot of parents can’t help their kids with schoolwork, so we step in to guide them,” Hernández said.

La Escuelita runs Monday through Thursday during the school year and is divided into groups by age, allowing younger and older students to receive the support they need. Students work on subjects such as math, reading, writing, Spanish and public speaking, while also building communication and teamwork skills. The program also includes a summer component that helps students stay on track in a more engaging environment.

Hernández said the Hispanic Center also has a program called HELP, which gives high school students opportunities to explore life after high school. He said the program allows students to complete community service hours while visiting college campuses and local institutions.

“We’re not just helping with homework, we’re giving kids opportunities they might not have otherwise. It’s about building a foundation for their future,” Hernández said.

Hernández said education and guidance are some of the biggest needs in the Hispanic community, especially for students who struggle with English and need additional support.

Hernández said he wants the community to feel like a safe place where families can feel at home and that many people simply need direction.

“What’s happening with immigration affects families, especially the kids. We always encourage people to seek legal advice and handle things the right way. At the end of the day, we’re here to help people grow and succeed,” Hernández said.

Yesenia Dixon serves as a front desk receptionist, interpreter and after-school teacher at the Hispanic Center.

Dixon said many children struggle to express their emotions, and the center helps them build communication skills.

“It’s rewarding to see their faces light up when they realize they can do something,” Dixon said.

Dixon said she enjoys interpreting people but she also knows it is serious because she serves as the voice for others.

“I’m usually the first person people see, and they come in upset or needing help. I try to calm them down and let them know they’re in a safe place,” Dixon said.

Dixon said increased ICE activity has heightened fear in the Hispanic community, with some people choosing to handle everything virtually.

“During stressful times, we focus on giving people factual information so they don’t panic. There’s a lot of fear, so it’s important we don’t spread misinformation,” Dixon said.

Dixon said even if she does not have an immediate answer, she works to help people find one.

“We’re not just a place for handouts, we’re here to support people. We want to be known as a place where people can come without feeling judged,” Dixon said.

.

-30-

Jonesboro Mayor Gives State of City, Hears Criticism over City Stars

Posted on by

Story by DDNS Reporter Mia Young

JONESBORO, Ark.- Mayor Harold Copenhaver gave his sixth State of the City address to the Jonesboro City Council on Tuesday evening, featuring major growth in the economy, finances and infrastructure, lower crime rates, and a bright future for the city.

Amid the city’s acquisition of CityStars’ finances, Copenhaver highlighted the 15 consecutive audits. He said Jonesboro is thriving and, at the end of 2025, had $28.1 million in reserves and $15 million in capital improvements.

He mentioned the growth in nearly every aspect of the city, including the 150 businesses that opened last year, 10% more calls firefighters responded to, and numerous projects ready to start. Not only projects “built for wheels,” but for pedestrians. Funds awarded to Jonesboro through the Transportation Alternatives Program will go toward new pedestrian infrastructure on the Marion Berry overpass. This will not only make the overpass safer and more walkable but will also help connect Arkansas State to the rest of Jonesboro.

“Jonesboro’s future is bright, but we’d better prepare for it now,” Copenhaver said.

He highlighted that even with the large population growth over the last decade, statistics recently released by the FBI show that violent crime is the lowest it has been in at least a decade.

More than 100,000calls were answered by dispatchers through the city’s emergency medical dispatch program. Seven calls helped guide people through CPR, and one even helped deliver a baby. Copenhaver also noted that 63% of firefighters’ and 52% of police officers’ salaries have increased.

The city also won three Trendsetter awards for Jonesboro connecting efforts, emergency medical dispatch, and the city park ranger program, and was also named Volunteer City of the Year. Copenhaver knew the council was not the only one responsible for helping win these awards; the public was a big help. He called upon citizens to make an effort to get involved and help craft a blueprint for a better city.

“But all those numbers can add up to an overall total of one. One goal, one responsibility to make Jonesboro the best city,” Copenhaver said to close his address. 

After the State of the City address, business continued as usual. A few Council members raised additional concerns regarding the handling of CityStars. Questions were raised regarding Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, missing paperwork and invoices for individuals working the tournaments, and making sure all aspects of taking over CityStars’ finances were done legally.

Efforts are underway to move toward partial- or fully cashless events in youth sports. IT is making strides to handle this issue. The first phase of this process is to assess the cost of the required infrastructure and ensure that locations have the Wi-Fi capabilities needed to run the program.

Matt Daniel, former executive director of the Arkansas Revolution Soccer Club, spoke during public comment. He stated during the Feb. 3 City Council meeting, Copenhaver directly named him and incorrectly quoted both his CityStars resignation letter, which did not mention anyone by name, and his proposal. Daniel went on to correct Copenhaver and state what he actually said in his letter. He stated the city has maintained that CityStars operated independently, but contracts, payroll involvement, event insurance filings, and more “show a far more entangled relationship,” and people deserve to know the truth.

“Mayor Copenhaver, I have lost all confidence in your leadership for our city,” Daniel said, after stating the aforementioned documents were not any type of confidential record but documents he was a part of.

Daniel closed his public comment, giving a call to action to the council, saying, “If you have confidence in this administration, say so. If you do not, say so. Jonesboro deserves clarity.”

-30-

Second ‘No Kings’ protest to be held in Northeast Arkansas

Posted on by

Story by DDNS Reporter Jerry Don Burton

Demonstrators protest in Jonesboro at the June 14 No Kings protest, organized by the Coalition for Change of Northeast Arkansas (CCNEA). The second protest, also organized by the CCNEA, is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18.
Photo Courtesy of the Democratic Party of Craighead County Facebook Page.

JONESBORO – The Coalition for Change of Northeast Arkansas (CCNEA) will hold a second No Kings protest from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18, in Jonesboro at the intersection of Highland and Red Wolf, next to the Turtle Creek Mall.


One of 13 others scheduled in Arkansas and more than 2,500 worldwide as of Oct. 10, the demonstrations aim to protest against policies and alleged authoritarian actions from President Donald Trump and his administration.
Carol Davis, CCNEA member, said those who attend the No Kings protests are rallying together over a variety of concerns and causes. She cited government overreach and concerns about community safety as reasons for her expected presence at the protest.


“If what it takes is large amounts of people continually coming out and saying and showing that they disapprove, that they’re concerned, that there are issues, then the hope is that they’ll listen,” Davis said. “And if they won’t listen, then the hope is that we can encourage people to vote with their conscience and with their interests.”


Jayne Schack, another member of the CCNEA, said Trump’s deployment of the National Guard in specific cities across the United States also highlights the need for another No Kings protest. Schack noted her participation in the first No Kings protest, held June 14, was a singular experience.


“The kind of ‘high’ that I had from attending the June 14 protest is like nothing else that ever happened,” Schack said. “There was such a bond of solidarity of ‘We are people who believe in our democracy, we are people who believe in our Constitution, and we are not going to let it change into something else.’ That’s what the No Kings is about.”


Nationally, the first No Kings protests saw a turnout between 4-6 million, according to data journalist G. Elliot Morris. Schack said more than 400 attended the rally in Jonesboro, far exceeding the CCNEA’s expectations.


Davis said while the CCNEA is comprised of people from a wide variety of beliefs, what binds the group together is a desire to see their community get involved and succeed. The CCNEA started in Paragould, Arkansas, in response to the 2024 presidential election results. Schack said she attended her first CCNEA meeting in December 2024.


“We are a grassroots organization. We are nonpartisan. We want to empower individuals to take action and make a difference in their communities,” Schack said.


The CCNEA is an offshoot of Indivisible, a progressive movement that started in 2016. According to their website, Indivisible is committed to nonviolence and rejects all forms of political violence and intimidation.


Schack and Davis said the CCNEA shares these values and has taken measures to ensure all attendees stay safe at the upcoming protest. Although it was not mentioned, any form of violence has been an issue in the past; therefore, it is strictly prohibited at the protest.


Davis said the CCNEA hosts training sessions for members, educating them on safety and their rights as protesters. The CCNEA will also designate trained safety marshals for use in the protest. Schack said safety marshals maintain peace, de-escalate conflicts, and help wherever needed.


Davis said those attending should take care of themselves by staying hydrated, wearing sunscreen, and taking breaks as needed. She says the CCNEA will be ready to help anyone who has any questions or concerns during the protest.


“It’s a serious subject and it’s an important thing, but ultimately, you should feel like you’re enjoying the company of the people around you,” Davis said. “It’s a fun thing to be able to have that opportunity, to have that right and to exercise it.”

Protesters present signs to passing vehicles at the Turtle Creek Mall during the first No Kings protest on June 14. Photo courtesy of the Craighead County Democratic Party Facebook page.

Schack said counter-protesters have as much of a right to assemble as the CCNEA. Still, she said they will not engage with any counter-protesters and all attendees should act in a non-confrontational manner.

“It takes work to keep a democracy, it takes understanding, it takes compassion. You have the right to say what you think. I have the right to think something different. It’s fine, that doesn’t mean we have to hate each other,” Schack said.

Despite disagreeing with the message of the No Kings protests, Arkansas Sen. Dan Sullivan said he wholeheartedly supports allowing diverse voices to challenge perceived power structures without fear of reprisal.

“I also recognize the irony of the protesters’ claims,” Sullivan said. “That if we truly lived in the authoritarian regime that they decry, their public demonstration of dissent would be swiftly suppressed. Thus, their very ability to rally is a testament to the freedoms they claim lost.”

Others voice stronger opposition.

House Speaker Mike Johnson said the No Kings protests are outrageous gatherings for outrageous purposes.
“This ‘Hate America’ rally that they have coming up for October 18th, the Antifa crowd and the pro-Hamas crowd and the Marxists, they’re all gonna gather at the (National) Mall,” Johnson said.

The No Kings coalition issued a response following Johnson’s statements, writing that Johnson is running out of excuses for keeping the government shut down and that the protesters are committed to nonviolence.

“Instead of reopening the government, preserving affordable healthcare, or lowering costs for working families, he’s attacking millions of Americans who are peacefully coming together to say that America belongs to its people, not to kings,” the statement read. “All No Kings events adhere to a shared commitment to nonviolent protest and community safety.

Schack said protesters are still people and should not be demonized, nor should their opposers.

“We’re all just people. Nothing special about us. We’re not demons. People who disagree with us are not demons,” Schack said. “Most of us are patriotic for our country and what it stands for. We differ in our views on what the future might be and how we see it. But there’s no reason why we can’t be respectful.”

Arkansas 1st District Rep. Rick Crawford did not respond to statement requests before publication.

Davis questions whether the rhetoric surrounding protests as inherently violent and ineffective, especially in the Arkansas Delta, will discourage people from attending. She said the CCNEA would love anyone interested to participate in it if they feel safe to do so, but understands that it’s not for everyone.

“I think the important thing about demonstrations, especially in this area, is first and foremost to encourage other people who are similarly concerned,” Davis said. “When I went to the first No Kings demonstration, I didn’t expect a tremendous amount of support. So to see so many people in my community motivated and concerned was really encouraging.”

Davis said she hopes those who attend the protest are encouraged to continue their activism. Whether through civil disobedience or running for office, Davis said she hopes the protest motivates people to continue demanding to be heard.

Schack said the CCNEA will host an event at an undetermined date after the protest to receive feedback from attendees and discuss improvements for future demonstrations.

“If you want to be involved in an organization that is going to foster your ability as an individual to engage and mobilize and promote social justice, this is it,” Schack said.

More information about the CCNEA, No Kings, and Indivisible can be found at ccnea.org, nokings.org, and indivisible.org.
-30-

Jonesboro Mayor Harold Copenhaver Provides State of the City

Posted on by

Story by DDNS Reporter Shailey Wooldridge.

Jonesboro Mayor Harold Copenhaver.

During the annual meeting, Jonesboro Mayor Harold Copenhaver addressed plans to grow the city’s population to 100,000 people, the city’s strong financial health, and projected 2025 projects and revenues.

The mayor spoke for around 30 minutes to a packed crowd at Embassy Suites.

“The state of the city of Jonesboro, Arkansas is strong. It’s filled with potential because of the people it’s filled with,” Copehaver said. “Jonesboro is anything but static.”

Copenhaver said the city has $33 million in reserves and projected 2025 revenues of $93 million. Its achievements in 2024 include a 106-ton neighborhood cleanup, a revived glass recycling program, and numerous park and infrastructure improvements.

He said preparing for 100,000 people will require constant effort to maintain the city’s growth and prosperity.

This month, Jonesboro will break ground on the $70 million Sportsplex, which Copenhaver said will increase revenue for Jonesboro businesses.

Additionally, he said plans for repairing and adding miscellaneous streets, sidewalks, and road overlay projects will cost another seven figures.

“Among the most critical projects that need funding is extensive work on South Caraway Road and the associated pedestrian accommodations,” Coperhaver said.

The city will fund foundational pieces of the master parks plan, provide new vehicles and equipment for the police and fire departments, and update the Jonesboro E-911 center.

 He said community engagement is necessary to address crime, provide opportunities for youth, and support local nonprofits and businesses.

Copenhaver said quality of life for parents is knowing their kids can safely cross streets, call 911 in an emergency, and receive a kind and experienced dispatcher on the other end.

“We all love to think big, but we can’t overlook the basic responsibility as leaders of this community. I believe, like you, we have a moral responsibility, a moral mandate, to prioritize projects that will save lives,” Copenhaver said. “Kids can’t be it if they can’t see it.”

Arkansas Farmers Face Significant Challenges This Season

Posted on by

This report from DDNS Reporter Shailey Wooldridge

Keynote speaker, Arkansas Department of Agriculture secretary, Wes Wardaddresses water infrastructure, food insecurity and trade initiatives at the Agribusiness Conference. Photo by DDNS Reporter Shailey Wooldridge.

Agriculture officials at Arkansas State University predict a challenging year for Arkansas agriculture. Farmers are expected to face difficulties in three areas: farm economy, agricultural and trade policy, and commodity markets.

Bert Greenwalt is a professor of agricultural economics at Arkansas State University. He said Arkansas agriculture is facing headwinds this year as farmers struggle with commodity prices decreasing over past years while farm input prices have declined very little.

“Farmers are in a cost-price squeeze situation, as it’s referred to, low profitability, struggling to make ends meet and looking to government, farm policy, the farm bill for some assistance,” Greenwalt said. “Unfortunately, our Farm Bill expired a couple of years ago and Congress has yet to address updates in the farm bill that would address the current situation.”

The Farm Bill is federal legislation passed by Congress governing various agricultural and food policies. It’s passed approximately every five years and covers a wide range of topics, from farm subsidies to food assistance programs. The bill affects farmers, ranchers, rural communities, consumers, and the environment.

“Agriculture is a cyclical business. Historically, there are ups and downs, like in some other businesses, and so we’re going through that downturn down cycle right now,” Greenwalt said. “Agriculture will continue to be an important industry in the United States and globally, but not all producers will remain in the industry over time.”

Greenwalt said one of the factors contributing to uncertainty in the agricultural economy today is the shifting trade policy in Washington. Since U.S. agriculture relies heavily on export markets, any disruptions, such as tariffs or trade wars, that affect trade or access to global markets are a significant concern for the industry.

“Farmers this time of year are making many plans for the coming year, what to plant, how to renew their lines of credit with lenders. So hopefully, some of this information will be useful to them as they complete their business planning for the season,” Greenwalt said.

Greenwalt is the co-founder and director of the annual Agribusiness Conference at Arkansas State University, which was held earlier in February. Keynote speaker at the conference Wes Ward addressed water infrastructure, food insecurity, and trade initiatives.

The Arkansas Department of Agriculture (ADA) secretary highlighted problems with water and wastewater systems across the state, including broken systems that have made it hard for people to access clean water.

He also addressed a decline in groundwater levels and the importance of ensuring enough water for irrigation in agriculture, which is crucial for the state’s economy.

“In August last year, we signed an executive order to update the state water plan. The deal is a comprehensive way to look at the needs for water resources throughout the state, both short term and long term,” Ward said. “Right now, there’s about $13 billion in water and wastewater infrastructure needs that impact every single one of us throughout the entire state.”

To address this, he said the state is working on two large irrigation projects to shift water use from groundwater to surface water for agriculture in eastern Arkansas. This will help ensure farmers have the water they need to grow crops.

In 2023, the USDA ranked Arkansas the worst state for food insecurity. Ward said the ADA staff is working to address this.

“A lot of what we’re focusing on this legislative session is just efficiency. We are working a lot about ensuring we’re working on food insecurity issues, but more so trying to identify and correct inefficiencies in government,” Ward said. “I would just ask if people are aware of issues on the state level, if there are things that we can do differently from an agriculture department, please don’t hesitate to visit us.”

Ward said there have been discussions about improving trade relations and access to markets for U.S. agricultural products. The ADA is working with NASDA and USDA to overcome barriers in international trade.

In January, a group from several U.S. states, including Arkansas, Montana, South Dakota, and Connecticut, traveled to India. Ward said the trip aimed to help open markets for U.S. agriculture, tackle trade challenges, and advocate for U.S. farmers.

“We can have a long conversation about India and what that might mean, but India’s the most populated country in the world; hopefully, in the future, there will be some good market opportunities, “ Ward said.

Haleigh Jackson, a graduate student majoring in Agriculture Business and Economics from Leachville, Arkansas, said staying current on agricultural issues and policy is crucial because they affect everyone in the farm sector.

“Agriculture touches everything,” Jackson said. “I think it’s good for everybody to come and learn about the things they use in everyday life.”

Scott Adams, land manager for Adams Land Company in Leachville, Arkansas, and owner of Buffalo Island Farms in Manila, Arkansas, has attended this conference for the past 19 years.

“The major take from it is, we’re going to have to get creative on restructuring entities, market, our crop during rallies, watch our inputs, where we can watch our inputs and just mind the situation and do our best to weather the storm if this is what we’re going to continue to try o do,” Adams said. “My biggest concern is the family farmer going away, smaller farms being dissolved into bigger farms, and it affecting our direct economy.”

######

 

 

Arkansas State University hosts U.S. House Debate, minus Crawford

Posted on by

This report is from DDNS reporter Shailey Wooldridge.

 Arkansas State University’s School of Media and Journalism hosted the first live broadcast debate of this 2024 election season with running candidates for U.S. Representative District 1 Oct. 3 at six p.m.

ASU-TV, The Herald, KLEK-FM, KASU-FM, and Red Wolf Radio sponsored the first of three political debates scheduled for this month, beginning on Oct. 3 at 6 p.m. at the ASU-TV studio.

Debate panelists included Brandon Tabor, KASU News Director; LaGanzie Kale, KLEK General Manager; and Jerry Don Burton, Editor-in-Chief of A-State’s The Herald.

The debate was filmed live from the ASU-TV studio as part of the class video production II taught by Galen Perkins.

Perkins, an instructor of creative media production, said it is important to have student involvement in our elections as many of the topics addressed affect students.

“Having it here on campus, we’re inviting these politicians to our local turf so that they get to know the students and they get to know different people from the community that they might not otherwise get a chance to interact with,” Perkins said.

Democratic candidate Rodney Govens and libertarian candidate Steven Parsons participated in this debate. In their opening remarks, both candidates said the system is not working.

Parsons said that in the two-party system, both had failed his family. Govens said he believes the time for change has come.

Parsons’ platform includes advocating for immigration reform to reduce bureaucracy.

“First we have to change the work visa and Green Card rule so that you can bring workers into this country legally,” Parsons’ said. “Let’s change the policy so that there is a meaningful legal mechanism to bring immigrants into this country. One of the second ones would be, if you think you’re going to build a wall, then we can build a wall around the safety net program and welfare.”

Goven’s platform includes expanding access to healthcare in rural areas and expanding broadband infrastructure.

“Our population is going down because we can’t keep them healthy. That’s one issue. The second issue is infrastructure. In many counties across this state, we still don’t have adequate broadband infrastructure,” Govens said. “You should have every resource to be successful, no matter where you live.”

Govens supports policy initiatives such as updating the Farm Bill and creating fair labor policies for farmers. He aims to address income inequality. He promotes criminal justice reform, affordable housing, investment in education, environmental sustainability, and student loan forgiveness. He also privatizes cybersecurity for public schools, veterans’ support, health care, and mental health services. He focuses on creating economic stability, promoting small business, and reforming the foster care system.

Parsons’ platform focuses on reducing inflation by eliminating trade tariffs, cutting federal regulations, and lowering federal spending. He advocates for immigration reform. He supports prison reform, particularly for nonviolent offenses, and opposes high military spending and student loan forgiveness. His economic approach centers on limiting federal intervention and creating clearer paths to residency for immigrants.

Republican incumbent Rick Crawford was invited to the debate but did not respond in a timely manner.

Govens said the incumbent, Crawford, feels he is untouchable because he did not attend the debate.

“We need to go ahead and help Mr. Crawford secure some fruitful employment because currently, he is suing the American taxpayer, everybody within earshot of my voice,” Givens said. “He is suing you because he doesn’t think he makes enough money.”

Parsons said he was disappointed that incumbent Rick Crawford did not show up and would have preferred he had been there.

“When incumbents across the board in US Congress win 97% of the time, and he’s been an incumbent for 14 years in a super red district in some sense, it’s easy for him, it’s easy for anybody, to understand why he feels like he doesn’t need to come to the debate. He feels like he’s going to win anyway,” Parsons said.

The next political debate will be on Oct. 10 at 6 p.m. between AR Senate District 20 candidates Dan Sullivan and Erika Askeland.

                                                                        -30-

Despite Political Divides, Students Call for Bipartisan Engagement

Posted on by

Report from Delta Digital News Reporter Jerry Burton.

Despite political contrast, civic engagement remains a priority for students.

America is often cited as being more divided than ever. With the presidential election drawing near, political discourse is heating up, and it may seem like neither party can agree on anything. Despite this apparent schism, Arkansas State University students across the political divide agree that civic engagement is vital, irrespective of political affiliation.

Hunter Redburn, a junior radiologic sciences major from Saint James, Missouri, said everyone who can vote should vote, regardless of where their vote goes.

“I will never tell somebody that you can’t or shouldn’t vote because I think regardless of who you support or what you do, voting is your right, and I will never try to take that right away from you,” Hunter Redburn said.

Chris Smith, a senior history and communications studies double major from Cabot, Arkansas, agreed with Redburn.

“I definitely value civic engagement, voting, researching, and learning about candidates more than just party loyalty,” Smith said. “Truly, I’m just happy when people vote, regardless of how they vote, I’m just happy they do it.”

Redburn is the president of Students For Life, an anti-abortion student organization. He said his morals most closely align with the Republican party. Smith is the president of the A-State Young Democrats. She said she most closely aligns with the Democrat party. These two students are opposed politically, but both agree that voting, one of the most active forms of civic engagement, is imperative.

Cameron Wimpy, an associate professor of political science, said these students’ encouraging people to vote, regardless of who they vote for, is an interesting situation that challenges common media coverage.

“There are a lot of discussions out there about one side wanting to get more people to vote and the other side wanting to get fewer people to vote; specifically, Democrats want to have, for example, undocumented migrants voting, and Republicans want it to be more strict. That’s the argument the media often makes,” Wimpy said. “Here you have student groups who advocate for issues, but above that, they’re participating and being part of the process, irrespective of what position you take, because they don’t know how you’re going to vote.”

Lily Redburn, vice president of Students For Life, said she does not want anyone to discourage her from voting, so she won’t put anyone else in a similar position.


“I think it has to go both ways. If a Democrat saw me voting Republican, would I want them to somehow discourage or prevent me from voting? Absolutely not,” Lily Redburn said. “I should not impede somebody’s ability to vote one way or the other. That’s the beauty of this country; we all get to have our own ideas.”


Students outside political student organizations also agree that civic engagement is a priority.


Jaden Holley, a sophomore social work major from Brooklyn, said civic engagement is important because it allows citizens to influence the direction of their country.


“Some people vote for Trump, some vote for Kamala, and it determines our future. It ultimately solidifies our rights and our process towards equality,” Holley said. “It is one of the most important things we can do as United States citizens.”


Isaiah Wallis, a first-year musical theater major from Harrison, Arkansas, said civic engagement is especially important among students because they tend to vote less than older adults.


“The majority of voters, especially on the local level, tend to be on the older side of life, like middle-aged and elderly,” Wallis said. “Because of that, you do not get the voice of younger generations, which is very important, especially regarding how quickly technology and culture is changing.”

Leaders from both the A-State Young Democrats and Students For Life organizations criticized party allegiance. Smith said remaining strictly loyal to a party stifles research into other candidates who may have better policies.

“If you just stick to your party, you’re not engaging civically; you’re just staying loyal to a party that will tell you what to do instead of encouraging you to learn about other candidates,” Smith said.


Hunter Redburn said he doesn’t think pledging allegiance to a particular party is productive. “I think many people are almost obsessed with party allegiance,” Hunter said. “You actually need to do your research on candidates, on party stances and make your decision based off that.”


Hunter Redburn and Lily Redburn said they vote according to the candidate or issue that aligns closest to their morals, derived primarily from religion.

“My moral compass is the Bible, and either it aligns with that, or it doesn’t,” Lily Redburn said. “Other people may not have that moral compass, but they still base their morals in something else.”


Smith said collectivism is a value she considers when going to the polls. When someone votes, they are not only voting for themselves but also their community.


“When you go into the polls, I think not only should you think for yourself and what you’re aligned with but think about your neighbor, the dude who lives across the street from you and the guy who lives 10 minutes away from you.”


Hunter Redburn, Lily Redburn, and Smith have different morals when considering how to vote. Nonetheless, they agree that morals play a major role in voting and respect that other people may not share their same values. While they don’t value civic engagement in all the same ways, all three students agree that disagreements are healthy. Hunter said he thinks citizens have lost the ability to have civil debates with people or groups with opposing views.


“I think that dialogue is never a bad thing. I think disagreement fuels progress, and without disagreement, we would never get anywhere,” Hunter said. “There have to be two sides to every story.”


Although Smith also said the lack of civility in politics is a problem, she said it is not new. The Vietnam War, the civil rights movement, and the 2000 presidential election are examples of periods when the country was divided and civic discussion was low.

While Lily Redburn and Smith agreed civic disagreements can be productive, they said compromises cannot always be reached. Lily Redburn said she feels strongly about abortion and doesn’t see an avenue where she could compromise without betraying her morals, while Smith said she is not flexible in her stance toward transgender rights. Even so, Smith said people should interact with others they oppose. She said difficult conversations are the most important and lead to a more informed population.


“If I have one idea and everyone agrees with me, how do I know if my idea has a flaw? If someone isn’t there to point that out and disagree with my idea, then nothing would ever get done,” Smith said.


Hunter Redburn said that even though someone might strongly disagree or even hate another’s stance, they should still treat them respectfully and kindly.


“I hate abortion, I think abortion is evil, and I think that what you stand for could be evil, but that doesn’t change the way I view or treat you as a human being,” Hunter Redburn said. “I think having a civil conversation is ultimately way more important than anything else.”


Wimpy said civil disagreement is a part of participating in a healthy democracy.


“We should be able to agree that we win some, we lose some, we come up with better ideas, better candidates, and do better next time,” Wimpy said.


Students from both organizations also had similar strategies for increasing civic engagement. Hunter Redburn said candidates or representatives engaging in civil debate allows potential voters to engage with both parties or sides of an issue equally and make an informed decision.


“I think it is much more productive and effective when you can watch these two ideas go head to head and, with logic and reason, you can see which one makes more logical sense with how we want to move forward in the country,” Hunter Redburn said.


Wimpy said education and cultivating interest are necessary to increase young adults’ civic engagement.

“I think more programming around what’s going on in the world would help, and that can’t just come from political science classes,” Wimpy said. “It needs to be things that students organize, whether guest speakers or voter registration drives.”


Smith said increasing civic engagement requires showing that engagement works and can be productive. She said showing productive political conversations, such as the recent vice presidential debate between JD Vance and Tim Walz, lets citizens know that politics isn’t supposed to be filled with disrespectful fights and constant bickering.


“Because that idea has circulated so much now, a lot of people have started to have large screaming matches of their own,” Smith said. “So if we shine light on productive conversations actually happening and we highlight those more then the media starts to encourage it more and then we find that the people themselves are doing it more.“

-30-

ASU Feminist Union to host women’s rights rally

Posted on by

Upcoming women’s rights rally will promote abortion amendment and abolishment of tax on menstrual products

Delta Digital News Service

Friday, Mar. 29, 2024

By Avery Jones | Editor

JONESBORO, Ark. – The Feminist Union at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro will be hosting their first women’s rights rally this Saturday. It will be held from noon to 3 PM in the courtyard of the Craighead County Courthouse.

The event is open to the community, and those who attend can choose to sign for the Arkansas Abortion Amendment and Period Tax Petition. They will also hear from several female speakers who are important figures in the community. 

“Essentially, this rally is to…celebrate the advancement of women’s rights across the years but also to celebrate the women now who are making basically their mark on history, specifically women’s history,” said Christina Smith, the president of the Feminist Union and a student at ASU Jonesboro.

The Arkansas Right to Abortion Initiative–more popularly known as the Arkansas Abortion Amendment–is a movement that aims to get the amendment on the ballot for 2024 as a constitutional amendment in Arkansas. If instated, the amendment would allow abortion within 18 weeks of conception; in the cases of rape, incest, or fatal anomalies; or when the life of the mother is in danger.

The movement was started by Arkansans for Limited Government, a nonprofit organization that advocates for personal liberties and limiting government involvement, especially in regards to healthcare. They must collect at least 90,000 signatures by this July 5 in order for the amendment to be placed on the November 2024 ballot.

An Act to Exempt Feminine Hygiene Products and Diapers from Sales and Use Tax is being spearheaded by the Arkansas Period Poverty Project, which aims to increase access to feminine hygiene products in Arkansas, especially for those in poverty, by ending sales tax on feminine hygiene products and getting free menstrual products in public schools. They need 72,500 signatures by this July in order to make it on the November 2024 ballot.

Those are the two main movements that the Feminist Union is currently promoting, but Smith said there may be other causes represented at the rally. The speakers at the rally will be talking in general about women’s rights, but they also will most likely promote their own causes.

There will be four speakers: State Senate candidate Erika Askeland, who is running for District 20; Young Democrats of Arkansas president Allison Sweatman; Alison Guthrie, a community advocate from Little Rock; and another community advocate, Rebekah Pruitt, from Jonesboro.

Specifically, Askeland will probably speak about her campaign. Sweatman will most likely speak about the importance of voting, especially for women. Guthrie stated that she would be talking about disability rights. Pruitt, as a transgender woman, will most likely speak on transgender rights.

While it’s their first rally, Smith said that it wasn’t difficult to arrange. Since the courthouse’s courtyard is public property, she just had to call the courthouse to ask permission to use it and make sure no one else was using it at that time. Then she started promoting the event.

As for the speakers, Smith already had connections to them. She reached out to Guthrie and Pruitt and asked them specifically to speak. Meanwhile, Askeland and Sweatman volunteered when they heard about the event.

“I reached out to Alison Guthrie and Rebekah Pruitt because I’m a very big fan of their work within their own communities,” Smith said.

Smith works on Askeland’s campaign, so when Askeland heard of the rally, she offered to speak. Similarly, Smith is the president for the Jonesboro chapter of the Young Democrats of Arkansas, so when she mentioned the event to Sweatman, Sweatman also volunteered.

The ASU Feminist Union itself has only recently become active again. It was first established in 2018 but shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Inactivity after the campus opened again caused the organization to die out. 

However, in fall 2023, Smith wanted to revive the Feminist Union. She had to register it again as a student organization and then recruit more members. Currently, the Union has around 60 to 70 members, but only about 10 to 15 members regularly attend meetings and activities.

“The hardest part was getting members…active members,” Smith said.

They have meetings every two weeks on Wednesdays and events every month. They have hosted panel events, in which they invite community advocates, elected officials, or female candidates for discussion; readings and movie nights about feminism; and tabling events where they hand out free condoms. Next semester, they’re also planning to start handing out emergency contraceptives.

-30-

Avery Jones 

Avery Jones is a junior in The Department of English and Philosophy at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, Arkansas. She can be reached at avery.jones@smail.astate.edu

Note: Featured image is from one of the Feminist Union’s previous events.

Paragould School District Approves Vehicle Purchase

Posted on by

PSD School Board votes to purchase new superintendent vehicle

Delta Digital News Service

Friday, March 15, 2024

By Shelby Russom | Contributor

PARAGOULD, ARK. — The Paragould School District voted to approve the purchase of a new vehicle.

A 2019 GMC Sierra will replace the superintendent’s current vehicle, a 2014 GMC Acadia. The district will then transfer the previous vehicle to a different department within the school district for professional development, and the vehicle currently used for that purpose will go to the maintenance department. 

“We’ve got to be able to get our people around the district,” Superintendent Nicholas Jankoviak said. “With multiple vehicles, we’re able to divide and conquer.” 

“We’ve got to be able to get our people around the district, With multiple vehicles, we’re able to divide and conquer.” 

Superintendent Nicholas Jankoviak

It is the district’s responsibility to provide a vehicle for the superintendent’s business and personal use according to the PSD superintendent’s contract. The district will also assume all expenses related to this vehicle’s use, including insurance, fuel, maintenance, etc. 

During the March 11 meeting, the school board voted to purchase the vehicle. The vehicle, with just over 28,000 miles, combined with a six-year or 120,000-mile warranty, will cost the district $48,828.

Michael McBryde, senior vice president of Stephens Inc., presented a plan to the board concerning the district’s plan to sell their bonds and the next steps the district should take now since the bond restructure passed March 5. 

Michael McBryde, senior vice president of Stephens Inc., presented the board with a plan to sell the district’s bonds.
Shelby Russom | Delta Digital News Service

McBryde said it is important to have one final meeting with the school board before selling the bonds to ensure everyone is on the same page. 

“It’s just kinda always one of those things,” he said. “Before you sell a couple million dollars worth of bonds, it’s always nice to have a little touch-in meeting.” 

McBryde said he believes if the district sells its bonds in the current market, it will have a better interest rate.

 “That means you’ll get your $17 million and actually reduce your total annual payment,” he said.

Josh Honeycutt, school board secretary, said the proposal is fantastic and will save the district $3 million over 30 years. 

The bond sale will begin with the state-required publishing of the sale in the local newspapers. Currently, the bond sale will take place April 9. 

PSD school board motioned to approve an alternate calendar based on hours, not days. A traditional academic calendar requires a minimum of 178 instructional days. The board-approved alternate calendar requires the district to have 1,068 instructional hours, allowing them to save additional time for days off, such as inclement weather. 

Currently, the district is banking 1,101.42 hours, meaning the district will have 33.42 hours to bank. 

“We can bank over five six-hour days,” Jankoviak said. “So, what will happen is if we get bad weather, we can allow the students to stay home five times without having them make up any days at the end of the school year.” 

The district will utilize the extra days for professional learning communities (PLC), which act as teacher collaboration days. Jankoviak said this year, the district really focused on incorporating PLC days and believes they will help improve the district. 

He said PSD currently employs two of the only high-impact teachers in northeast Arkansas, and he believes allowing them to collaborate with their colleagues will help improve the district. 

Oak Grove’s principal, Jamie Dial, stated the academic achievement of the students of Oak Grove Middle School (OGMS). The school’s current enrollment is 503, with 234 fifth and 269 sixth-grade students. The average attendance is 91%. The school employs 32 certified teachers, with 22 having over six years of teaching experience in the district. 

“Our staff is strong,” Dial said. “They’re doing a great job; we’re doing everything we can for the kids.” 

Dial said the teachers within OGMS have gone above and beyond in grasping PLCs with math, science and language arts. 

Within the OGMS math department, the PLC meets every week to discuss remediation pathways from previous testing data. Dial said both sixth-grade math teachers show growth as high as 17% with their students’ ACT Aspire test scores. 

OGMS began Imagine Math Small Group on Demand Tutoring. This year-long virtual program will help 56 high-risk students bridge the gap in their math skills. 

In other business:

  • The school board elected Jeremy Hancock as president and disbursing officer, Teresa Hill as vice president and Josh Honeycutt as secretary. The remaining board members were elected as secondary disbursing officers. 
  • Due to law changes, the board approved policy updates from the Arkansas School Board Association effective July 1, 2024. 
  • The board expelled a 10th-grade student for the remainder of the 2023-24 school year for actions that violated student policies 4.18, 4.20, 4.21 and 4.22 and student rule two in the Paragould High School Student Policies Handbook. 

-30-

Shelby Russom

Shelby Russom is a senior in the School of Media and Journalism at Arkansas State University. She can be reached at shelby.thompson1@smail.astate.edu

NOTE: Feature photo of Paragould School District School Board meeting by Shelby Russom.

« Older Entries