In Crunch, State Reached Out to Ad Firms for Vaccine Work
The clicking clock of COVID-19 led Arkansas health officials to bypass typical competitive bidding procedures in awarding $8 million in advertising contracts to three Little Rock marketing firms. read more >
by Kyle Massey -
Lawyers Called Greedy in Fatal Gunplay Case
One fact is certain: Kerry Baker’s 20-year-old son died of a gunshot to the head at a Jefferson County hunting lodge on Oct. 24, 2015. read more >
by Mark Friedman -
CDC Awards $40M Grant to Arkansas Department of Health
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has awarded the Arkansas Department of Health $40.4 million to address COVID-19-related health disparities. read more >
Cranford Co., Design Group and C3 Win State Work for Vaccine Ads
Three Little Rock marketing firms led by Cranford Co. land $8 million in state Health Department contracts for advertising to persuade Arkansans to get COVID-19 vaccinations. read more >
by Kyle Massey -
Tyson Foods Led Workplaces in COVID Cases
Tyson Foods Inc. of Springdale reported 2,866 COVID-19 cases at its workplaces. read more >
9,000 Employees Sick As COVID-19 Overwhelmed Arkansas Workplaces
In working conditions that stress a quick turnaround and have close contact between employees, workers said they were put at risk for catching COVID-19, and legal-aid attorneys and worker-advocacy groups said the state regulatory structure was overwhelmed by the pandemic. read more >
by -
Unity Health Invests $16M in Jacksonville
Steven Webb knows that turning around the former North Metro Medical Center in Jacksonville is going to be a challenge, but the Unity Health president and CEO is up for it. read more >
by Mark Friedman -
Arkansas Blue Cross Announces ‘Vaccinate The Natural State’ Initiative
Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield announces "Vaccinate the Natural State," a statewide initiative that aims to educate Arkansans about the benefits of getting the COVID-19 vaccine and encourage them to get it. read more >
COVID-19 Slashes UAMS Profits
At the end of February 2020, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock had a surplus of $22 million. But then COVID-19 surfaced. read more >
by Mark Friedman -
Hutchinson: States Need to Take Lead in Distributing Vaccine
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Friday said states need to take the lead in administering the coronavirus vaccine as the number of new virus cases in the state dropped. read more >
by Associated Press -
Has Medical Cannabis Cut Opioid Abuse?
Even though opioid use has been falling in Arkansas, it’s unclear if the trend is related to the availability of medical marijuana. read more >
by Mark Friedman -
Medical Marijuana Use Spread Unevenly in Arkansas
Arkansans spent $181 million on more than 28,000 pounds of medical marijuana in 2020, the first full year of legal cannabis sales in the state, according to data from the state Department of Finance & Administration. read more >
by Gwen Moritz -
Rough Times for Bingo, Spelled C-19
COVID-19 pandemic felt by charities and vendors who rent out their halls for bingo games. read more >
by Marty Cook -
Dr. Jennifer Dillaha on the Spin and Needles of COVID-19
Dr. Jennifer Dillaha, the state epidemiologist, has come to know the “terrible consequences of the current pandemic in a deeply personal way.” read more >
COVID-19 Hospitalizations Still Rising in Arkansas
Hospitalizations from the coronavirus in Arkansas continued to climb on Sunday, reaching a new one-day record high of 741, state health officials said. read more >
by Associated Press -
Migration of State Agencies Generates Little Rock Office Ripples
The reshuffling of state offices around Little Rock has set the stage for construction of two buildings and the possible sale of a third. read more >
by George Waldon -
Arkansas COVID Creator Hands It to UA Journalists
Misty Orpin is handing off her latest baby, the pandemic news and data site arkansascovid.com, which she birthed on her laptop and raised to indispensability. read more >
by Kyle Massey -
Finding Some Oases Amid Ad Drought
The advertising gods giveth, and they taketh away, particularly these days. read more >
by Kyle Massey -
Smoke Clears on Cannabis Cards
Medical marijuana patients in Arkansas have been getting mixed signals about when their cards — whose expiration dates have been extended during the coronavirus pandemic — will start to expire. read more >
In Medical Cannabis, a Rush to Renew
With 70,000 Arkansas patients spending well over a half-million dollars a day in the state’s 14-month old medical marijuana industry, Dr. Brian Nichol and Dr. David Nguyen are both surprised. read more >
by Kyle Massey -
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