Jake Bleed

The state Department of Finance & Administration names Robert Brech as Arkansas' new budget director. read more >

Crystal Lougin has been appointed to the Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling & Marriage & Family Therapy read more >

Gov. Asa Hutchinson and Larry Walther, director of the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, says that Jake Bleed will be the department's state budget director. read more >

Applications to grow and sell medical marijuana, which are due Sept. 18, will be scored using a 100-point scale. read more >

The state began accepting applications Friday from those wishing to grow and sell marijuana for medical use, but when the drug might make into the hands of patients is still anyone’s guess. read more >

Presentations to be made by the three final advertising firms vying for the state's parks and tourism account, which used to be open to the public, will be closed this time. read more >

Disclosure provisions in the state’s competitive bidding process have landed Procurement Director Edward Armstrong in the hot seat again. read more >

Did you see that announcement about the three finalists chosen for the state’s richest advertising contract — the $14 million-a-year pact for marketing the Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism? read more >

It wasn’t smooth, but the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery has a new advertising agency, CJRW of Little Rock. read more >

In the years since the first tickets were sold in 2009, the lottery has lost much of its glossy newness, leaving hard numbers to do the talking. read more >

Scoring tabulations have left some puzzled Little Rock advertising professionals trying to get the Office of State Procurement’s math to add up. read more >

The battle for an Arkansas Scholarship Lottery marketing contract worth more than $5 million a year is down to three Little Rock advertising finalists. read more >

Three Little Rock bidders and a Boston digital marketing agency are in the running for the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery’s advertising and marketing work, worth $5 million a year and rising. read more >

Arkansas Insurance Department spokesman Ryan James said the department asked Nabholz to run some numbers “for informational purposes.” No bids or proposals were sought and no payment made for the one-page estimate dated April 25. read more >

Former Arkansas Scholarship Lottery officials are critical of a recent decision to add 10 years to the contract of a vendor whose original contract was altered after lottery commission approval. read more >