Stories by Bill Bowden

Files link Arkansans to role in Bay of Pigs Twenty-four Arkansans helped train Cuban exiles in Guatemala for the Bay of Pigs invasion on April 17-19, 1961, according to recordings of President John F. Kennedy talking to aides and intelligence o... April 18, 2021

Kennedy discusses Arkansas Guard Telephone recordings and transcripts of President John F. Kennedy talking about the Arkansas Air National Guard and the Bay of Pigs can be found at: https://bit.ly/3mRBHo4 Specific recordings from M... April 18, 2021

Rutledge asks U.S. justices to strike abortion-law block Attorney General Leslie Rutledge is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse a decision by the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals that blocked an Arkansas law prohibiting abortions performed solely on the b... April 14, 2021

Capitol incidents outlined in filing; Barnett’s release till trial opposed Richard "Bigo" Barnett of Gravette approached a line of police officers in the U.S. Capitol rotunda on Jan. 6. "We're American citizens," Barnett shouted. "We're patriots. Your boys maced me. This is... April 13, 2021

Plans for return to jury trials in works When state-court jury trials resume in Arkansas next month, some venue-related creativity will be employed to accommodate covid-19 health guidelines. In Pulaski County, the arts and crafts building a... April 11, 2021

Justices set May as restart for trials Citing Arkansas' coronavirus vaccination efforts and decline in newly identified infections, the Arkansas Supreme Court on Thursday announced that jury trials in state courts will be allowed to resume... April 9, 2021

Former editorial page writer Greenberg dies In the pages of this newspaper, Paul Greenberg had been preparing for his death. Referred to home hospice in 2015, he had plenty of time to ruminate on the subject. "The whole household is in turmoi... April 8, 2021

Huntsville man in custody after chase, lobbed explosives A 32-year-old Huntsville man was arrested Friday after he threw Molotov cocktails at police and threatened them with a machete and knife, according to a preliminary report that the Madison County sher... April 8, 2021

Paul Greenberg, Pulitzer-winning chronicler of Arkansas politics, dies at 84 Paul Greenberg, a Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial writer who chronicled Arkansas politics and culture for over half a century, died Tuesday, said his wife, Brooke Greenberg. He was 84. Originally fr... April 7, 2021

Wanted restroom, says Gravette man accused in Capitol riot Richard "Bigo" Barnett of Gravette was just looking for a restroom when he "wandered" into House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office in the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, according to a filing Tuesday in federal c... April 7, 2021

Huntsville man throws Molotov cocktails during police pursuit, authorities say HUNTSVILLE -- A 32-year-old Huntsville man was arrested Friday after he threw Molotov cocktails at police and threatened them with a machete and knife, according to a preliminary report the Madison Co... April 6, 2021

Arkansas' connection to Ernest Hemingway: Author put Piggott over Paris in 1933 He'd rather be in Piggott than Paris. Or so Ernest Hemingway wrote in a 1933 letter to Esquire magazine. Paris was gloomy during his three-week stay that fall. "Me, I like it better out on the ranc... April 4, 2021

In some Arkansas cities, mask policies set to remain Some of Arkansas' largest cities -- including Little Rock, North Little Rock, Fayetteville and Rogers -- aren't ready to be unmasked. Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced Tuesday that he was lifting his sta... March 31, 2021

'90s eagle killer found to be toxic water weed It was one of Arkansas' great mysteries. What killed 60 bald eagles in the mid-1990s? Eagles stumbled like they were drunk. Some flew into cliffs. Scientists were stumped. It started at DeGray Lak... March 27, 2021

Casino shootout in Pine Bluff left trail of casings Police found 64 shell casings after a shootout outside the Saracen Casino in Pine Bluff on the night of March 11. Two men who were tossed out of the casino began firing at security officers in the pa... March 19, 2021

Shots injure pair; wife's ex-husband held Two people were shot Saturday at a residence near Huntsville, according to the Madison County sheriff's office. Sharon and Bobby Stout of Berryville were in stable condition on Monday after each was ... March 17, 2021

Huntsville shooting injures two HUNTSVILLE -- Two people were shot multiple times Saturday at a residence near Huntsville, according to the Madison County Sheriff's Office. Sharon and Bobby Stout of Berryville were in stable condit... March 16, 2021

Fourth suspect surrenders in shooting outside Pine Bluff casino Four of five suspects in a shooting outside Saracen Casino on Thursday night have surrendered to police, said a spokesman for the Pine Bluff Police Department. The fifth suspect, Tirek Langel, 22, is... March 16, 2021

Man arrested after 2 shot in Madison County Two people were shot multiple times Saturday at a residence near Huntsville, according to the Madison County sheriff's office. Sharon and Bobby Stout of Berryville were in stable condition on Monday,... March 15, 2021

Jasper in line to get the keys to theater A plan is in the works to give the historic Buffalo Theater building to the city of Jasper. Don Nelms, who owns the century-old building on the downtown Jasper square, said he will donate it to the c... March 14, 2021

Shootout wounds 1 guard at casino Pine Bluff police were searching for five people Friday after a shooting the previous night left a security guard injured outside Saracen Casino Resort. Sgt. Richard Wegner, a spokesman for the Pine ... March 13, 2021

Voters pass taxes for parks projects Mountain Home will be getting a new $28 million community/aquatic center after voters there narrowly approved two sales-tax measures Tuesday. "This is better than winning an election myself when I wa... March 11, 2021

Paul Smith, noted figure in newspaper's history, dies at 76 An essential figure in Arkansas' newspaper history has died. Paul Smith was instrumental in the Arkansas Democrat's winning a David-and-Goliath battle against the Gannett Co. Inc. and its Arkansas Ga... March 10, 2021

2 sales-tax increases on Tuesday's ballot in Mountain Home Voters in Mountain Home will decide this week whether to approve two sales-tax increases to build a multipurpose/aquatic center, improve parks and fund operations. Tuesday is election day, but early ... March 8, 2021

At D.C. hearing, riot suspect rails at stay in lockup WASHINGTON -- A Gravette man charged in the Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol expressed frustration with his continued confinement Thursday, noting that others facing charges already have been relea... March 5, 2021

Owner of charred Marianna diner plans reopening in month The owner of an iconic Arkansas barbecue restaurant said he will have the place fixed up and reopened in about a month. A fire Sunday damaged Jones' Bar-B-Q Diner in Marianna and destroyed the barbec... March 4, 2021

Man gets 2 life sentences in women's fatal stabbings A 24-year-old Sharp County man pleaded guilty to two counts of capital murder on Tuesday and was sentenced to life in prison. Charles Paul Stovall will die in prison, said his attorney, George "Birc"... March 4, 2021

Fire damages award-winning Marianna diner An iconic Arkansas barbecue restaurant was damaged by fire Sunday morning. James Harold Jones, the owner of Jones' Bar-B-Q Diner in Marianna, said he was cooking pork in the pit behind the restaurant... March 1, 2021

LEGEND OF BASS REEVES: Black lawman a star in France It was time for a Black cowboy hero in the venerable Franco-Belgian comic book series Lucky Luke. But the author, Julien Berjeaut, didn't have a real-life model in mind. "I was about to make up a fi... February 28, 2021

Meteor likely burned up, didn't hit ground, aficionado says A professional meteorite hunter has called off his search for a meteorite near El Dorado after surveillance video from a Pulaski County farm made it appear that Wednesday night's meteor burned up befo... February 27, 2021

Meteor hurtling across night sky seen in 9 states A fireball that was visible to people in nine states streaked across the Central Arkansas sky at 8:17 p.m. Wednesday. Steve Arnold of Eureka Springs is looking for video to help triangulate the locat... February 26, 2021

Fireball streaks across Central Arkansas sky A fireball streaked across the Central Arkansas sky at 8:17 p.m. Wednesday. Steve Arnold of Eureka Springs is looking for video to help triangulate the location. Arnold, who was a host of the Discov... February 25, 2021

Stripper Foxe, consort to Mills, dead at age 84 An Argentine stripper whose stage name became well known to Arkansans in the 1970s has died. Fanne Foxe was intimately linked to the downfall of one of the state's most powerful political figures of ... February 25, 2021

Hamburg’s mayor dies at 74 years old The mayor of Hamburg has died. Dane Alan Weindorf, 74, died Saturday of complications from surgery, said his son Dax Weindorf of Benton-ville. The elder Weindorf had been diagnosed with bladder cance... February 25, 2021

Hamburg's mayor, 74, dies; Weindorf led town since '10 The mayor of Hamburg has died. Dane Alan Weindorf, 74, died Saturday of complications from surgery, said his son Dax Weindorf of Bentonville. The elder Weindorf had been diagnosed with bladder cancer... February 24, 2021

Barnett talks of police ties in video The Gravette man charged in connection with the U.S. Capitol riot said his hometown police officers practice their marksmanship at his private firing range. "All the Gravette cops come out and shoot ... February 21, 2021

State digging out as bitter cold ebbs; snow thaw raises alert over black ice, icicles As Arkansas continues to thaw out today after subzero temperatures and record snowfall, the National Weather Service in North Little Rock warned about black ice and falling icicles. "Clearing skies a... February 19, 2021

Whiteout, ice cited for I-40 crashes Heavy snowfall blinded motorists Wednesday as vehicles crashed in a slow chain reaction on an icy Interstate 40 near Lonoke. Arkansas State Police said the accidents were spread over a 30-mile stretc... February 18, 2021

Conway man faces 7 counts in flagpole assault at Capitol A federal grand jury in the District of Columbia has indicted a Conway man on seven charges -- including assault -- after authorities say he was captured on video using an American flag to beat a poli... February 18, 2021

NWA shivers; no heat for thousands Several thousand Northwest Arkansas residents endured rolling blackouts Tuesday, and about 2,300 customers in Pea Ridge lost service when pressure dropped in a Black Hills Energy natural gas service l... February 17, 2021

State shivers as more snow moves in A winter storm that moved into Arkansas on Tuesday night will drop another 6-8 inches of snow on a large area of the state before the precipitation ends Thursday, according to the National Weather Ser... February 17, 2021

Decision disputes no-boycott state edict Requiring contractors doing business with Arkansas to sign a pledge saying they won't boycott Israel violates the First Amendment right to free speech, according to an 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeal... February 13, 2021

Storm leaves state slippery; but cold, ice and snow just getting started, forecasters say A thin layer of sleet, snow and freezing rain coated much of Arkansas on Thursday, but it was nothing compared with what's around the corner. "It looks like we're going to get our first winter storm ... February 12, 2021

Gravette man in D.C. case pleads innocent A Gravette man pleaded innocent Friday to charges alleging that he entered the U.S. Capitol with a dangerous weapon on Jan. 6. Richard "Bigo" Barnett, 60, was indicted by a grand jury on seven counts... February 6, 2021

JPs pass resolutions opposing any casino The newly elected Pope County Quorum Court has voiced its opposition to a casino being built there. At a meeting Thursday night, the Quorum Court passed two resolutions and introduced an ordinance th... February 6, 2021

Gravette man pleads not guilty in D.C. riot case Richard "Bigo" Barnett of Gravette pleaded not guilty during his arraignment on Friday in federal court in the District of Columbia. Barnett, 60, was indicted by a grand jury on seven counts regardin... February 5, 2021

Pope County casino license case returned to lower court The Arkansas Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Cherokee Nation Businesses has the right to intervene in a lawsuit over a casino license in Pope County. The ruling reverses a decision by Pulaski Count... February 5, 2021

Arkansas heritage grants awarded to seven groups Seven organizations recently received grants from the Division of Arkansas Heritage. The grants will fund such things as tours, publications and festivals, according to a news release. "Arkansas commu... February 5, 2021