Arkansas Advocate

1 day ago | arkansasadvocate.com | Jordan P. Hickey

by Jordan P. Hickey, Contributing Writer, Arkansas Advocate June 6, 2025 Building in some of Arkansas’ fastest-growing cities hit a wall last spring after the Arkansas Department of Health ceased approving any significant new projects. Centerton and Highfill, two communities in the booming Northwest Arkansas region, grew by 7.2% and 15.2%, respectively, between July 1, 2023 and last July 1, according to the Census Bureau.

6 days ago | arkansasadvocate.com | Amanda Hernandez

by Amanda Hernández, Stateline, Arkansas Advocate June 1, 2025 Community-based violence intervention programs nationwide have long worked alongside law enforcement officers to deescalate conflict, prevent retaliatory shootings and, in some cases, arrive at crime scenes before police do. In many communities, these initiatives have been credited with saving lives and reducing violence.

1 week ago | arkansasadvocate.com | Sonny Albarado

Ahead of a meeting of the Democratic National Committee’s Executive Committee in Little Rock on Friday, DNC chair Ken Martin said the national party is committing the largest financial assistance to state Democratic parties ever. “The DNC will push out over a million dollars every month to the state parties,” Martin said in an interview. That includes $22,500 a month to the Arkansas Democratic Party to help it mobilize its efforts to improve the party’s position in the Natural State, he said.

1 week ago | arkansasadvocate.com | Antoinette Grajeda

Times are tough for Arkansas farmers, who like many of their counterparts across the country, are dealing with challenges such as high input costs and low commodity prices for crops. Weather and pests also pose issues, but Jacob Rowell of Kings River Produce said the bigger problem is finding a market for produce once you grow it. “I can’t explain as a farmer how much time I had to spend marketing,” Rowell said.

1 week ago | arkansasadvocate.com | Tess Vrbin

The Arkansas Board of Corrections on Thursday tentatively approved a $57 million contract with two architectural engineering firms chosen in April to design a planned 3,000-bed prison on 815 acres of land in Franklin County. The board agreed to meet and discuss the contract again sometime before June 10 in case members had any qualms about it being on the agenda of the legislative subcommittee responsible for further approving it. Gov.