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Articles by Lisa Hammersly
Scott wins reelection as Little Rock's mayor, 50% to 38% for Landers
Incumbent Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. won re-election Tuesday night in the city’s combative and high-dollar mayor’s race, with 49.9% of the vote according to unofficial totals. Finishing second in the four-candidate field was retired auto dealer Steve Landers Sr. at 38.3%. To win, the top finisher needed 40% to avoid a runoff next month, according to Pulaski County election officials.
Frank Scott Jr. wins second term as Little Rock’s mayor
This story was updated at 4:10 p.m. Nov. 11 to reflect the latest vote tallies from the Pulaski County Election Commission’s website. Incumbent Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. won re-election Tuesday night in the city’s combative and high-dollar mayor’s race, with 49.9% of the vote according to unofficial totals on election night. Finishing second in the four-candidate field was retired auto dealer Steve Landers Sr. at 38.3%.
Landers outspends Scott by about $250K in race for Little Rock mayor
Retired auto dealer Steve Landers Sr. has raised almost $1 million in campaign contributions in the race for Little Rock mayor, more than doubling incumbent Mayor Frank Scott Jr. ‘s $403,604 total, according to campaign finance disclosure reports filed Tuesday (Nov. 1). Landers’ campaign contributions include a $400,000 loan to himself. All four candidates in the Nov.
Nonpartisan state Supreme Court race features candidate heavily favored by Republicans
by Lisa Hammersly, Arkansas Advocate November 1, 2022 The Nov. 8 runoff for Arkansas Supreme Court Position 2 between Associate Justice Robin Wynne and Faulkner County Circuit Judge Chris Carnahan is billed as nonpartisan. Candidates aren’t nominated by political parties and can’t claim party endorsements or seek party contributions, according to the Arkansas Judicial Code of Conduct. But there’s a seeming loophole: Candidates aren’t specifically banned from accepting money from political parties.
Major contributors to Little Rock mayoral race remain unknown
Three weeks before the Nov. 8 general election, Little Rock voters still can’t learn the big contributors behind the four candidates in this year’s contentious mayor’s race. And they can’t know how candidates are spending those contribution dollars. State law doesn’t require campaign finance disclosure information from nonpartisan municipal candidates until Nov. 1, just seven days before the vote. For Little Rock early voters, who can start casting ballots in Pulaski County on Oct.
Mike Huckabee PAC funnels cash to committee behind anti-Scott ads
by Lisa Hammersly, Arkansas Advocate October 11, 2022 Former Gov. Mike Huckabee’s political action committee, Huck PAC, is the primary funding source for a group behind advertising critical of Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott, Jr. and his re-election bid. Ads targeting the mayor have appeared on media outlets in the Little Rock area, paid through Citizens For a Better Little Rock, an independent expenditure committee. The Citizens group collected $56,700 in total contributions between Oct.
Mike Huckabee PAC funnels cash to committee behind anti-Scott ads
Former Gov. Mike Huckabee’s political action committee, Huck PAC, is the primary funding source for a group behind advertising critical of Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott, Jr. and his re-election bid. Ads targeting the mayor have appeared on media outlets in the Little Rock area, paid through Citizens For a Better Little Rock, an independent expenditure committee. The Citizens group collected $56,700 in total contributions between Oct. 20, 2021, and Oct.
Three Little Rock mayoral candidates voice support for marijuana amendment
Three candidates for Little Rock mayor, including incumbent Frank Scott Jr., expressed full-throated support Monday night for legalizing recreational use of marijuana in Arkansas.
Three Little Rock mayoral candidates voice support for marijuana amendment
Three candidates for Little Rock mayor, including incumbent Frank Scott Jr., expressed full-throated support Monday night for legalizing recreational use of marijuana in Arkansas.
Defense contractors clustered in Camden’s World-War-II-era Highland Industrial Park are making weapons and equipment that are helping Ukraine’s in its fight against Russia.
CAMDEN --As Ukraine's battlefield successes against Russia mount, this shrinking south Arkansas river city and its sprawling neighbor, Highland Industrial Park, are enjoying a moment of international recognition. Highland's Lockheed Martin and the other major defense manufacturers located there are constructing weapons key to turning around the war in Ukraine, say military generals and other experts.
Cash disparity an ominous sign for Jones’ race
Two months shy of election day, Republican and former White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders reports heaps of campaign cash on hand, $6.3 million, to finance her final stretch in the Arkansas governor's race. Democrat Chris Jones -- physicist, political newcomer and long shot in a red Southern state -- claims barely a pocketful by comparison, $118,800.
Groups use Arkansas PACs loophole to donate above campaign contribution limits
When the Arkansas Asphalt Pavement Association decided to help Sarah Huckabee Sanders in her 2022 Republican primary for governor, the group's political action committee sent a check for the legal limit, $2,900. That's the current ceiling under state law for an individual or political action committee to give one candidate, for one ballot race. But when DBH Management Consultants in Morrilton wanted to help float Sanders' primary run, it was able to kick in checks for $16,400.
A closer look at state’s four leading PAC donors
Commerce in Action, a conservative causes group, is connected to the most political action committees. The Arkansas Realtors Association has contributed the most PAC dollars. They are among four organizations that are the biggest givers through political action committees (PACs) to Arkansas' 2022 election candidates so far.
Arkansas’ largest campaign donors include Stephens, Waltons and Oaklawn’s Cella
On the eve of the May 24 primaries, the largest contributors to Arkansas' 2022 campaigns include familiar names such as investment banker Warren Stephens and the Arkansas Realtors Association, plus a bounty of out-of-state dollars. Arkansas' top individual contributors are Stephens and Oaklawn Racing's president, Louis Cella, according to campaign finance disclosures filed with the Arkansas secretary of state's office.
How to request an absentee ballot in Arkansas
Toni Butler (left) fills out paperwork to turn in her absentee ballot to deputy Pulaski County Clerk Jack Rogers (right) as her husband, Jim (left center), files his ballot with deputy clerk Lanette Brown (right center) on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020, outside the Pulaski County Courthouse in Little Rock.
Covid deaths at Arkansas nursing homes spiraled; then came vaccines, rapid tests and new treatments
Ashley Powers (left), certified nursing assistant, visits with resident Doris Strovers on Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022, at the Greenhurst Nursing Center in Charleston. Visit nwaonline.com/220220Daily/ for today's photo gallery. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Hank Layton) In the earliest days of the pandemic in March 2020, when even the world's best scientists knew almost nothing about combating it, the new coronavirus killed 35 residents at a nursing home in Washington state.
Failed nursing home chain owner, wanted in Arkansas, arrested on federal charges in New Jersey Original
The former owner of failed nursing home chain Skyline Health Care, already charged with Medicaid fraud and tax violations in Arkansas courts, now faces federal charges in New Jersey. Joseph Schwartz of Suffern, N.Y., was arrested and charged in federal court in Newark on Thursday with failing to pay $29.5 million in payroll and unemployment taxes in addition to benefit plan fraud, according to a federal indictment.
State Game and Fish faces tricky predicament with spread of chronic wasting disease, positive case in south Arkansas deer
Governor Hutchinson addresses the media during his weekly address on Arkansas' response to COVID-19 on Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2021. See more photos at arkansasonline.com/1222gov/..(Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Stephen Swofford) A deadly disease among deer and elk is advancing across Arkansas even as state regulators work to contain it.
Chronic wasting disease found in deer in four more Arkansas counties, including one outside the containment zone
This photo by Marcus Constance and provided by the U.S. Forest Service, shows a white-tailed buck in the Kisatchie National Forest in central Louisiana during December 2020. (Marcus Constance/U.S. Forest Service via AP) The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission announced Friday that chronic wasting disease has been identified in a deer in Randolph County, the first case in the state's northeast corner.
Ex-nursing home chief faces fraud charges, Arkansas attorney general says
FILE — In this Jan. 22, 2020, file photo, Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge speaks to reporters at a news conference in Washington. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen) A New York man who operated a failed national nursing home chain, including 21 facilities in Arkansas, faces arrest on eight state Medicaid fraud charges involving his former Arkansas nursing facilities.
State officials look to replace Arkansas' 'clunky,' 'antiquated' electronic campaign-finance system
Hands type on a laptop computer keyboard in this Feb. 27, 2013, file photo. (AP/Damian Dovarganes) Since its rollout in 2017, Arkansas' computerized system for tracking political campaign contributions and expenditures has generated gripes from candidates, elected officials and the public.
Out-of-state cash floods Arkansas governor's race as Sarah Huckabee Sanders breaks fundraising records
Republicans Sarah Huckabee Sanders (from left) and Attorney General Leslie Rutledge, as well as Democrat Chris Jones, are shown in this undated combination photo. No one running for state office in Arkansas has ever assembled a mountain of campaign contributions as tall, wide and geographically diverse as Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
State resources aid in getting shots
Gov. Asa Hutchinson last week announced new incentives for Arkansans who get vaccinated against covid-19 -- a $20 Arkansas Lottery Scholarship scratch-off ticket or $21 in gift certificates from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. The tickets and gift certificates are available starting Tuesday at local Health Department units and at special events statewide.
How state compares on vaccinations
Arkansas continues to rank among states with the lowest vaccination rates nationally against the covid-19 virus, according to a tracking project conducted by The New York Times. The state lags by 11 percentage points the national average of residents who have received at least one shot. Arkansas has delivered at least a first vaccination to 39% of residents and has fully vaccinated 31%.
How state compares on vaccinations
With vaccines against covid-19 widely available, Arkansas ranks among eight states that have the lowest vaccination rates nationally, according to a tracking project conducted by The New York Times. This state has delivered at least one shot of covid-19 vaccine to 38% of state residents and has fully vaccinated 30%. The U.S. average is 49% receiving at least first shots and 38% fully vaccinated, according to data updated Friday.
State resources aid in getting shots
The Arkansas Department of Health offers call-in phone lines, websites and other information to help residents schedule and receive vaccinations against covid-19. Arkansans age 12 and older are now eligible for the shots, according to new federal guidance. The injections are free to all recipients. Information and help from the state Health Department include: • A phone-in line to schedule covid-19 vaccination appointments and get answers to vaccination questions.
How state compares on vaccinations
Arkansas has delivered at least one shot of covid-19 vaccine to 37% of state residents and has fully vaccinated 29%, according to a vaccine-rollout tracking project conducted by The New York Times. This state's vaccination rate is among the lowest nationally. The U.S. average is 47% receiving at least first shots, 36% fully vaccinated, according to data updated Friday. The Times uses data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
State resources aid in getting shots
With vaccines against covid-19 plentiful, the Arkansas Department of Health offers call-in lines, websites and other information to help unvaccinated residents schedule and receive the shots. Arkansans age 12 and older are now eligible to get covid-19 vaccinations, according to new federal guidance. The shots are free. Information and help from the state Health Department include: • A phone-in line to schedule covid-19 vaccination appointments and get answers to vaccination questions.
How state compares on vaccinations
Arkansas has delivered at least one shot of covid-19 vaccine to 36% of state residents and has fully vaccinated 27%, according to a vaccine-rollout tracking project conducted by The New York Times. This state continues to lag national averages: 9 percentage points behind the 45% nationally who have received at least first shots, 6 points behind 33% nationally who are fully vaccinated, according to data updated Friday.
State resources aid in getting shots
With vaccines against covid-19 plentiful in the state, the Arkansas Department of Health offers call-in lines, websites and other information to help unvaccinated residents get the shots. Arkansans age 16 and over are eligible now to receive covid-19 vaccinations. The shots are free. Information and help from the state Health Department include: • A phone-in line for callers to set covid-19 vaccination appointments and get answers to related questions. Call (800) 985-6030, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.
How state compares on vaccinations
Arkansas has delivered at least one shot of covid-19 vaccine to 36% of state residents and has fully vaccinated one-fourth, or 25%, according to a vaccine-rollout tracking project conducted by The New York Times. In comparison with the national average over the past several weeks, Arkansas is losing ground, according to the data. Some 44% of all Americans have received "at least one shot," which 8 percentage points ahead of Arkansas.
LIVES REMEMBERED: Covid-19 continues to exact a heavy toll
Among the lives lost to the coronavirus in Arkansas in March 2021 were (top row, from left) John Zimpel, Marty Waldrop, Steven Cate, Sarah Jane Guzman, David Howard Jr., (bottom row, from left) Pamela Hummel, Linda “Faye” Strong, Jennifer Melton and Judy Stofferhan. A two-time All-American shot-putter. A Mabelvale man who wrote much of the state's tax code. A 36-year-old stage actor and mother of two.
Vaccinations in state open to all 16, older
Arkansans age 16 and over are eligible now to receive covid-19 vaccinations. For help making a covid-19 vaccination appointment, or for related questions, phone the Arkansas Department of Health's vaccination scheduling hot line at (800) 985-6030, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. The Health Department posts a list of covid-19 vaccination clinics around the state. Some accept appointments, and others are first-come, first-served.
Groups scheduling clinics for shots across Arkansas
The Arkansas Department of Health, local medical clinics and other groups have scheduled mass covid-19 vaccination clinics in coming days. The clinics listed below, and others with future dates, can be found online at: https://www.healthy.arkansas.gov/programs-services/topics/adh-covid-19-vaccine-clinics. Arkansans also can make appointments for vaccinations through community pharmacies and some medical clinics.
Where state stands in vaccinations
Arkansas ranks two percentage points below the national average in the number of residents who have received at least one dose of the covid-19 vaccine, according to an analysis by The New York Times. Below are U.S. states and territories faring best and worst in the nation's vaccine rollout, plus Arkansas and the national average. The Times uses data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Information is current as of Friday.
How to schedule a covid-19 shot
For help making an appointment to get a covid-19 vaccination, or for related questions, phone the Arkansas Department of Health's vaccination scheduling hot line at (800) 985-6030. The line is staffed daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The Health Department also posts a list of covid-19 vaccination clinics around the state. Some accept appointments, and others are first-come, first-served.
Where state stands in vaccinations
Arkansas ranks below the national average among states and U.S. territories in percentage of residents who have received at least one dose of the covid-19 vaccine, according to an analysis by The New York Times. Below are U.S. states and territories faring best and worst, plus Arkansas and the national average. The Times uses data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Information is current as of Friday.
How and where to get vaccine
The Arkansas Department of Health website offers a list and map of "Covid-19 Vaccination Locations" that include more than 340 pharmacies and hospitals statewide. Visit the website at: https://bit.ly/3q45Noe. Providers are listed by city and county, with telephone numbers and links to individual store websites and waiting list sign-ups.
Rollout of shots in state at a snail's pace in places
Robert Woolsey, pharmacist and owner at Medi-Quik Pharmacy and Gifts in Ozark, administers a dose of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine on Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021. (Special to NWA Democrat Gazette/Brian Sanderford) In the race for scarce vaccinations against the covid-19 disease, where Arkansans live -- their county of residence -- matters. According to Arkansas Department of Health reports and interviews, success doesn't always split predictably between urban and rural counties, wealthy and poor.
How and where to get vaccine
The Arkansas Department of Health website offers a list and map of "Covid-19 Vaccination Locations" that include more than 340 pharmacies and hospitals statewide. Visit the website at: https://bit.ly/3q45Noe. Providers are listed by city and county, with telephone numbers and links to individual store websites and waiting list sign-ups.
Vaccination rate by county
This list shows each Arkansas county's percentage of population that has received at least one dose of covid-19 vaccine, according to the Arkansas Department of Health's report updated Friday. Franklin County ranked highest at 19.8%. Miller County, where Texarkana residents can drive across town to get shots in Texas, was lowest at 3.8%, followed by Hempstead County at 6.6%. State average was 16.2%.
What to expect after covid-19 shots
Syringes filled with the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine wait on a tray to be administered during Polk Pharmacy's drive-thru vaccine clinic on Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021, at Landmark Baptist Church in England. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Thomas Metthe) ( Arkansas Democrat-Gazette / Thomas Metthe) Severe allergic reactions are rare for the two covid-19 vaccines in use now. But sometimes uncomfortable side effects are common.
Absentee voting in state rated difficult
As the coronavirus pandemic rages on, Arkansas is among states where it's relatively difficult to vote absentee and avoid crowded polling places for the Nov. 3 presidential election, according to a national political analysis website. Yet despite the obstacles, a crush of Arkansas voters is applying to cast absentee ballots this fall. In Pulaski County alone, the clerk's office had received 18,358 requests to vote absentee as of Thursday, almost four weeks before deadline.
107-year-old was center's 'star'
In mid-March, the staff at Briarwood Nursing and Rehabilitation Center learned that a male resident who recently returned from a hospital stay had tested positive for the coronavirus. Working with the state Health Department, the nursing home tested all residents and employees at the 120-bed center. The results brought worse news: 37 residents and 15 workers had tested positive for covid-19, the disease caused by the virus.
Experts see pandemic as test for state's public-meetings law
FILE — The Pulaski County Courthouse is shown in this 2019 file photo. ( Gavin Lesnick) Citing efforts to slow the covid-19 pandemic, many local governments and commissions now bar or discourage public attendance at meetings that state law has long made open to everyone. The Pulaski County Quorum Court's Tuesday meeting, for instance, "will be limited" to elected officials and essential staff, according to a news release last week. Anyone else is asked to watch a live-stream broadcast.
$400,000 given by 5 donors in Arkansas legislative races; PACs key contributors in state
Contributions from the top five donors totaled more than $400,000 to candidates for state legislative offices in Arkansas' 2020 election, according to campaign financial disclosure reports filed with the secretary of state's office. The top three donors are political action committees representing associations that regularly have business before legislators and state agencies -- Realtors, optometrists and nursing homes.
Repairs underway at treatment center
Piney Ridge Treatment Center in Fayetteville has stopped its practice of restraining children through chemical injections while also placing them in seclusion, according to state investigators' reports. Fixes are underway for "very dirty" living conditions and building damage, although a Jan. 7 state visit found two clogged sinks, urine odors and holes in walls.
Filing seeks ex-official's house
Former state Rep. Eddie Cooper is shown in this file photo. Federal prosecutors have asked a judge to order a key figure in Arkansas' long-running public corruption scandal, former state legislator Eddie Cooper, D-Melbourne, to forfeit his interest in a Florida house he owns with a co-conspirator.
Filing seeks former Arkansas lawmaker's Florida house after guilty plea in corruption case
Former state Rep. Eddie Cooper is shown in this file photo. Federal prosecutors have asked a judge to order a key figure in Arkansas' long-running public corruption scandal, former state legislator Eddie Cooper, D-Melbourne, to forfeit his interest in a Florida house he owns with a co-conspirator.
Other defendants in corruption inquiry
Other former government and business leaders charged in the five-year federal investigation into political corruption in Arkansas and Missouri. Micah Neal 1. Former state Rep. Micah Neal, R-Springdale: Pleaded guilty Jan. 4, 2017, to one count of conspiracy to commit honest services, mail and wire fraud in connection with taking kickbacks for directing state grants to private Ecclesia College of Springdale and a Bentonville nonprofit owned by Preferred Family Healthcare's predecessor. Sentenced Sept.
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