Stories for June 2009
Friday, June 26
Audio of Lt. Gov. Halter's telephone town hall meeting
LITTLE ROCK — Lt. Gov. Bill Halter hosted a town hall meeting via open teleconference Tuesday night to discuss the Arkansas Lottery Law. Read More »
Thursday, June 25
Economy dips at slightly lower 5.5 percent pace
The economy tumbled at a 5.5 percent pace in the first quarter, but appears to be doing better now. Read More »
New jobless claims rise unexpectedly to 627,000
WASHINGTON — The number of people filing new jobless claims jumped unexpectedly last week, and the total unemployment benefit rolls rose to more than 6.7 million. Read More »
Former police officer sentenced for sex crime
BENTONVILLE — A former Rogers police officer who admitted to sexually abusing a teenage girl has been sentenced to four years in prison. Read More »
Wednesday, June 24
Arkansas court rejects corpse abuse conviction
WALDRON — The Arkansas Court of Appeals has overturned the abuse-of-a-corpse conviction of a Mena woman charged with killing her husband and then dismembering him. Read More »
Arkansas-Georgia game to be televised in primetime
The Arkansas Razorback's Southeastern Conference opener against Georgia will be televised on ESPN or ESPN2, according to a release from the university Wednesday. Read More »
Lottery should be consistent with vote, Beebe says
LITTLE ROCK — Gov. Mike Beebe said Wednesday morning that Arkansas lottery games should be consistent with what the voters thought they were voting on when they adopted the constitutional amendment authorizing state lotteries in November. Read More »
Pakistani Taliban chief dodged missile, officials say
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — The head of Pakistan's Taliban had joined a funeral procession targeted in a suspected U.S. missile strike, but left before the attack that killed 80 people mourning an earlier barrage on a militant training camp, intelligence officials said Wednesday. Read More »
Durable goods orders up in May; new house sales dip
WASHINGTON — Orders to U.S. factories for manufactured goods from computers to aircraft surged in May for a second straight month. And a gauge of business investment rose last month by the most in nearly five years. Read More »
UPDATE: Court rejects power plant permit for southwest Arkansas
LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Court of Appeals says state regulators didn't adequately review plans for a $1.6 billion coal-fired power plant in Hempstead County and has rejected a permit allowing its construction. Read More »
Arkansas company to move across state line to Oklahoma
ROLAND — An Arkansas-based company that makes jet engine stands is moving across the state line into Oklahoma. Read More »
Union Pacific to automate Texarkana rail tower
TEXARKANA — Union Pacific is planning to stop using workers in its rail yard tower in Texarkana and replace them with video cameras. Read More »
Alamo wants evidence kept from trial
TEXARKANA — Evidence seized during a raid on jailed evangelist Tony Alamo's southwest Arkansas compound shouldn't be used at his coming trial on sex charges because a judge granted the search warrant using outdated information, his lawyers argue in new court filings. Read More »
Former Mountain Home man gets gift of new sight
MOUNTAIN HOME — The Hagar family gave up everything, including health insurance, to live as missionaries in a remote area of Brazil called Belem. The tropical heat there causes eyeglasses, especially bottle-thick glasses like the ones Earl Hagar has worn since he was four, to slide down sweaty noses. Read More »
Obama: Iran's violence leaves world appalled
Journalists, politicians, clerics arrested as crackdown grows
LITTLE ROCK — President Barack Obama condemned Iran's aggressive response to the mass protests that have swept that country after its contested elections, saying the United States and the international community "have been appalled and outraged" by the violence against peaceful demonstrators. Read More »
$11,760 left on the table
Doesn't need housing allowance, lottery chief says
LITTLE ROCK — The incoming head of Arkansas' lottery, set to be one of the highest-paid lottery directors in the country, didn't take all the cash offered him. Read More »
LR airport boardings dip 10.2%
State's largest airport sees 444,081 passengers in 2009
LITTLE ROCK — Little Rock National Airport, Adams Field, has seen the number of passengers boarding dip 10.2 percent in the first five months of 2009 as airlines continue reducing service, increasing fares and adding fees to remain profitable. Read More »
LIKE IT IS Hogs' NCAA run provides food for thought
LITTLE ROCK — It was a discussion over dinner about how the Arkansas Razorbacks baseball team went from losing its last eight SEC games to being a final four team in the College World Series. Read More »
WIMBLEDON Venus struggles at start in bid for 3rd consecutive title
WIMBLEDON, England — Five points into her opening match at Wimbledon, Venus Williams slipped and went sprawling on the grass she loves. Read More »
Thursday, June 4
Wal-Mart Party Rolls On In NWA
FAYETTEVILLE — The slumping economy may be turning down the lights of corporate convention junkets, but Wal-Mart's shareholders meeting is expected to hold all the glitz and glam of years past. Read More »