Jeff Ferrell

2 days ago | redriverradio.org | Jeff Ferrell |Lucio Vasquez

The 140-day may have ended on Monday but not before lawmakers approved 1,189 bills for Governor Gregg Abbott’s signature [from 8,719 bills filed]. But lawmakers failed to reach a deal on replacing the STAAR test, the state’s standardized test for public schools. As The Texas Newsroom reports, House Bill 4 sought to replace STAAR with three shorter tests spread across the school year. But disagreements between the Texas House and Senate stalled progress on the proposal over the weekend.

4 days ago | redriverradio.org | Jeff Ferrell

Some regional airports across the country face the risk of severe budget cuts. That includes the South Arkansas Regional Airport nine miles west of El Dorado, Arkansas, along with similar airports in Harrison, Hot Springs and Jonesboro, Arkansas. The Trump administration has proposed cutting $308 million from the Essential Air Service program. The EAS program subsidizes airlines to serve regional airports.

6 days ago | redriverradio.org | Jeff Ferrell

The final win of the LSU Shreveport Pilot’s record-breaking season did not come easily, with Southeastern (Fla.) leading much of the way before finally succumbing to the eventual champions, in a 13-7 slugfest, concluding the Avista NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho on Friday, May 30, 2025. A welcome home celebration was scheduled for the team’s arrival back home at LSU Shreveport at 6:00 p.m. Sunday in the HPE Parking lot.

1 week ago | redriverradio.org | Jeff Ferrell |Lucio Vasquez

The Texas Senate has passed a bill to eliminate the , test. That’s the standardized exam long used to measure student learning and teacher performance across public schools. House Bill 4 would replace STAAR with three shorter tests given throughout the year, offering results within 24 hours to help teachers adjust instruction. As Texas Public Radio reports, Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, said. “I think we're finally getting it right.

1 week ago | redriverradio.org | Jeff Ferrell |Nathan Treece

Food banks and schools in Arkansas are facing decreased funding after the USDA canceled nearly one billion dollars in programs. The local food and schools program helped school cafeterias create meals using fresh produce from local farmers – and known as the Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) Cooperative Agreement Program. As Little Rock Public Radio reports, Marlene Schwartz is the director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health at the University of Connecticut.