Environment
Scrap tires pile up in Arkansas as state recycling funds fall short
Arkansas is on the cusp of a big rubber problem. Unusable tires are piling up at tire shops, car dealerships and waste collection sites around the state. Those black rubber stacks will continue to grow unless state government acts quickly to patch up the program, which recently ran out of money. The Arkansas Division of […]
Boozman visits irrigation projects meant to preserve Arkansas groundwater
Two water infrastructure projects decades in the making would make Arkansas farmers less reliant on one of the most-used aquifers in the state, officials said Wednesday after U.S. Sen. John Boozman, R-Arkansas, visited both projects. The Bayou Meto and White River water management districts have each been digging canals and installing pipelines to transport surface […]
USDA plans ‘historic’ funding to help struggling farmers and develop new ag leaders
The U.S. Department of Agriculture will distribute up to $550 million to expand certain farmers’ access to land, money and markets and to create educational opportunities for the students of higher-education institutions that cater to racial and ethnic minorities. “The idea here obviously is to enlarge the number of people that are engaged in this […]
Committee promises American Rescue Plan funds to water and wastewater improvement
Several water infrastructure projects will get a financial boost from federal COVID-19 relief funds after a state committee approved the allocation Thursday. $270 million from the state’s American Rescue Plan Act funds, received in 2021, will be distributed among water and wastewater projects if the Arkansas Legislative Council approves the request, state Agriculture Secretary Wes […]
Drought, inflation strain Arkansas farmers, who see little relief in sight
Billy Grace, a Saline County cattle farmer, sold a portion of his herd this summer for the first time in 19 years in the business. High fertilizer prices and intense drought conditions have made it difficult for Arkansas farmers like Grace to grow, buy and sell hay this year. Grace sold 60 animals because he […]
Biden signs into law Democrats’ wide-ranging climate change, health care and tax bill
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden signed his party’s signature climate, health care and tax package into law Tuesday, capping off more than a year of tumultuous negotiations that saw his original proposal to Congress slimmed down considerably. Flanked by a handful of Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn and […]
Biden signs landmark bill aiding veterans exposed to burn pits overseas
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden signed legislation into law Wednesday that will provide health care and benefits to veterans exposed to burn pits in Afghanistan and Iraq, achieving a long-term, personal goal. “I was in and out of Iraq over 20 times,” Biden said of prior trips to the war zone he took as both […]