Friday summary

Be sure to catch my early morning newscasts on K-106.3 The Greatest Hits of All Time with John Lee and Spirit FM with Don Burns at 93.3 and 100.7

My outstanding radio show is on at 9.

KSMD 99.1 FM – Searcy/Batesville

KWCK 1300 AM – Searcy

KAPZ 710 AM – Bald Knob/Augusta

KAWW 1370 AM – Heber Springs/Clinton

My column is in the Democrat-Gazette and I am asking, “Is Memorial Day Passe?” You may want to read it in the Arkansas section on the Voices page.

The Senate overwhelmingly approved a spending bill that includes $39 million to help Arkansas’ recovery from recent flooding. President Bush promises a veto.

Roby Brock at TalkBusiness.net has some good economic news. Arvest Mortgage Co. announced a 14% increase in mortgage loan volume (the number of loans originated) and a 17% increase in mortgage loan values (the total dollar amount of loans) in the first quarter of 2008 compared to the first quarter of 2007.

The North Little Rock blogosphere has been humming over former city youth services director Steve Nawojczyk possibly running for Mayor. Steve now works for the State Division of Youth Services and tells me the answer is a definite “no.”

Former Arkansas Governor and Republican presidential contender Mike Huckabee will not be in attendance at John McCain’s Arizona get together. Some are calling it a group interview of prospective vice-presidential candidates. Huckabee says he will stay home and celebrate an anniversary with Janet.

State Republican Party Chairman Dennis Milligan appointed Deena Burnett Bailey of Little Rock to a four-year term on the commission that oversees state elections. She is the widow of a passenger on United Airlines flight 93 which went down in Pennsylvania on Sept. 11, 2001.

Searcy’s Daily Citizen reports that White County officials are sorting out why none of the voting machines at the 32 polling places worked correctly Tuesday. Crawford County apparently also had problems. The Faulkner County Election Commission will recount votes in a Democratic House of Representatives election this morning after discovering that 50 were not calculated.

A federal judge at St. Louis will decide whether to make several lawsuits over genetically engineered rice into one class-action suit that would include thousands of rice farmers throughout the United States. Arkansas is the largest rice producing state.

Dillard’s, Inc. posted a first quarter profit of $2.7 million, far below last year’s first quarter net income of $42.9 million.

Northeast Arkansas rice and cotton growers are taking advantage of a few days without rain to get their crops in the ground and some soybean growers have started to plant too.

Entergy is serious about catching whoever shot down power lines west of Ferndale. The reward is $15,000.

Little Rock Christian Academy plans for a $9 million expansion, the first phase of which includes plans to break ground on a new high school building this summer that is expected to be completed by fall 2009.

Former Razorback and Buffalo Bills lineman Jason Peters has been absent from voluntary team functions lately. He reportedly wants a raise. He is set to make $3.3 million this year and has three years left on his contract.

Former Arkansas basketball player Sonny Weems will attend the NBA’s pre-draft camp on May 27-30 in Orlando. The NBA will not officially release the list of players heading to the camp until Monday.

The recent record-setting rainfall of the past couple of months sent lake levels up, but that won’t keep Bull Shoals and Norfork lakes from being open this Memorial Day weekend. Parks and Tourism officials say cabins and campgrounds are almost booked up, and there is always Riverfest.

Filed under: Arkansas