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The Joint Judiciary Committee voted on Monday to recommend to the governor and other state leaders that the state pay the entire cost of district court judges’ salaries, lifting that burden from cities and counties.

The cities of Little Rock and Springdale will receive $25 million and $5.187 million from the federal Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) announced Thursday (Sept. 5). Funding received by the two cities are part of $1 billion in grants awarded through the SS4A program created by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. No member of Arkansaas’ Congressional delegation voted for the infrastructure law. Eight other Arkansas cities and counties received grant funds through the SS4A program.

The Arkansas Opioid Recovery Partnership (ARORP) is proud to announce that seven of thirteen Coalition Partnership Empowerment (COPE) coalitions who attended CADCA's new Opioid Coalition Academy have been awarded the prestigious Drug Free Communities (DFC) Grant from the Office of National Drug Control Program. This funding will provide each coalition with $125,000 annually for five years, amounting to a total of $625,000 per coalition and bringing a substantial $4,375,000 investment into Arkansas's cities and counties. Moreover, coalitions will have the opportunity to apply for a second five-year term of funding, doubling the potential total to an impressive $8.75 million.

Justices of the peace in Clark County gave approval Monday to earmark some $2.5 million in federal funding for a variety of improvements and projects.

Grant County residents wanting to renew their vehicle license or get a new one will find things are easier now that the new Grant County Annex is open. According to the Sheridan Headlight newspaper, the annex, located in the former First Baptist Church at the corner of West Bell and North Rose Streets in Sheridan has been totally remodeled, using money from the American Rescue Plan.

At the request of Speaker-designate Brian Evans, R-Cabot, House Speaker Matthew Shepherd, R-El Dorado, has selected and appointed Gina Lockwood as the chief of staff of the Arkansas House of Representatives, subject to the approval of the House Management Committee.

Communities in Baxter and Marion Counties are joining a global effort to remember those who have died or suffered permanent injury due to drug overdose, amid encouraging news of declining overdose rates in Arkansas.

After months of negotiations and gridlock, lawmakers on the House and Senate Agriculture Committees have released competing frameworks for the 2024 Farm Bill. The $1.5 trillion legislative package authorizes a suite of programs that help counties make critical investments in infrastructure, economic development, workforce training, nutrition and conservation within some of our nation's most underserved communities.

Mississippi County’s longest serving county judge was instrumental in defining the structure of county government for the state of Arkansas and now a plaque will commemorate his work. County officials unveiled the plaque honoring the late County Judge A.A. “Shug” Banks at the Blytheville Courthouse on Thursday (Aug. 29).