Latest Arkansas Headlines
All the headlines from our Arkansas Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Arkansas Sees Near-Record Increase in COVID-19 Deaths
Aug 27 2020 // Arkansas on Wednesday reported its second-highest one-day increase in COVID-19 deaths so far and 649 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus that causes the illness. The Department of Health said the 21 new deaths bring the...
Arkansas Governor Rejects Panel’s Call to Close Bars to Prevent Virus Spread
Aug 27 2020 // Gov. Asa Hutchinson has rejected a White House task force’s recommendation that Arkansas close bars and implement other restrictions, despite the state posting the 9th highest rate of positive coronavirus tests in...
Arkansas Health Officials Report 772 New COVID-19 Cases
Aug 10 2020 // There are an additional 772 reported coronavirus cases in Arkansas and 14 additional deaths due to COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, the Arkansas Department of Health reported. The department said there are 48,811...
3 Arkansas Men Agree to Settlement in Mall Shooting Case
Aug 7 2020 // The three men who filed a lawsuit over a 2011 shooting by an off-duty police officer working security at a Little Rock mall have reached a settlement in the case, but the details of the agreement haven’t been...
Arkansas Reports 18 More Deaths Amid 912 New Coronavirus Cases
Aug 7 2020 // Arkansas this week reported 912 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 18 more people in the state have died from the illness caused by the virus. The Department of Health said at least 46,293 people in the state have...
Arkansas Music Festival Cited for Violations of Virus Safety Rules
Jul 29 2020 // An Arkansas music festival that attracted thousands of people last weekend was cited by the state for violating coronavirus safety rules after attendees were seen not wearing masks or following social distancing...
2 Workers Hurt in Boiler Room Fire at Tyson Chicken Plant in Arkansas
Jul 10 2020 // A boiler room outside of a southwest Arkansas chicken processing plant caught fire and exploded early on July 9, injuring two employees, an official said. The explosion was reported at about 1:30 a.m. at a Tyson Foods...
Allstar Underwriters Expands Vacation Rental Insurance Program to Arkansas
Jul 10 2020 // Atlanta-based Allstar Underwriters has expanded its existing vacation rental insurance program into the state of Arkansas. The program has been offered in Tennessee since 2015, according to Laura Richardson, Allstar...
Arkansas Bar Linked to Virus Cases Forced to Close
Jul 8 2020 // Arkansas health officials have shut down a Little Rock bar after tracing it to a cluster of coronavirus cases and finding the business wasn’t complying with virus safety measures. The Department of Health on Saturday...
Arkansas Cities OK’d to Mandate Masks to Stem Virus Spread
Jul 7 2020 // Arkansas’ governor on July 3 signed an order allowing cities to enact measures requiring masks in public to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, relenting after opposing such mandates at the state or local...
Gas Line Explosion in Central Arkansas Injures 4 Workers
Jun 23 2020 // Four workers were injured on June 18 when the gas main they were repairing erupted in flames, officials said. The explosion happened about 1 p.m. at an intersection near a community center and an elementary school in the...
Arkansas AG Sues TV Pastor Bakker over Virus Treatment Claims
Jun 17 2020 // Arkansas’ attorney general has sued Missouri-based TV pastor Jim Bakker over his promotion of a product falsely touted as a cure for the illness caused by the coronavirus. Attorney General Leslie Rutledge filed the...
Arkansas Governor Signs Orders Giving Businesses Virus Lawsuit Protections
Jun 17 2020 // Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson had granted businesses protections from coronavirus lawsuits, while the state’s epidemiologist said she’s concerned loosened restrictions may have caused some to lower their guard...
AM Best Upgrades Ratings of Arkansas’ Kinsale Insurance
Jun 11 2020 // AM Best has upgraded the Financial Strength Rating to A (Excellent) from A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) to “a” from “a-” of Kinsale Insurance Co. (Kinsale), in...
People & Places
May 18 2020 // National Scott Kreuzer has been appointed as senior managing director, Americas, at Aspen Re, effective May 4, 2020. Kreuzer joins Aspen Re from Axis Reinsurance, where he has served as senior vice president and head of...
Governor Vows ‘Consequences’ if Arkansas Theater Proceeds with Concert
May 14 2020 // An Arkansas theater will face consequences that could be enforced by the police if it proceeds with its plan to defy the state’s coronavirus restrictions by holding what could be the country’s first major...
11 Arkansas Counties Declared Disasters after April 12 Tornadoes, Storms
Apr 27 2020 // Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson has declared 11 counties disaster areas in the wake of severe storms and tornadoes on April 12, 2020. The eleven counties are Arkansas, Bradley, Cleveland, Dallas, Drew, Grant, Hot Spring,...
McClain Appointed as Arkansas’ New Insurance Commissioner
Apr 27 2020 // Alan McClain is now Arkansas Insurance Commissioner — its 24th — having been named to lead the Arkansas Insurance Department (AID) by Gov. Asa Hutchinson in early April. He previously has served as Commissioner of...
Arkansas Insurance Dept. to Consumers: Contact Agents About COVID-19 Premium Relief
Apr 16 2020 // The Arkansas Insurance Department is advising auto insurance consumers to contact their insurance agents as to whether their auto insurance carrier is offering premium relief in light of the COVID-19 health crisis. AID has...
300 Homes, Buildings Damaged by Tornadoes in Louisiana
Apr 14 2020 // Though tornadoes were reported in Arkansas, Lousiana and Texas over the Easter weekend, in the South Central region, northern Louisiana bore the brunt of the storm system that swept across the South on Sunday. The weather...
