Latest Arkansas Headlines
All the headlines from our Arkansas Topic Page, ordered by recency.
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...
Little Rock, Arkansas, Bans Vehicle Caravans During Outbreak
Apr 8 2020 // Arkansas’ largest city is banning vehicle caravans during the coronavirus outbreak after a large crowd of vehicles gathered over the weekend. Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott announced the executive order on April 6 in...
Assessment: 100s of Homes Damaged, Destroyed in Arkansas Tornado
Apr 1 2020 // Hundreds of homes were damaged or destroyed in an EF-3 tornado that swept through Jonesboro, officials said Monday following damage assessments. Craighead County Judge Marvin Day said about 150 homes were mostly or...
6 Hurt as Tornado Tears Through Arkansas College Town
Mar 30 2020 // A tornado ripped through northeast Arkansas on Saturday, leaving six people hurt after hitting commercial and residential areas in the college town of Jonesboro. The six people reported injured were taken to a local...
Online Flood Insurer, Neptune, Offering Coverage in Arkansas, Illinois
Mar 23 2020 // Neptune Flood Inc., an all-digital, online flood insurance company, has opened for business in Arkansas and Illinois. Households in these states now have access to Neptune’s simple flood insurance solution. Neptune...
Tornado-Bearing Storms Spread Damage Across Parts of Arkansas, Texas
Mar 23 2020 // Severe storms, including at least one possible tornado, struck parts of Arkansas on the evening of March 19, damaging homes and causing widespread damage to trees and power lines. Additionally, the National Weather Service...
