Sit down for the Tuesday Arkansas headlines

Speaking at the Clinton School, Congressman Mike Ross says the “public option” will probably not be part of any health insurance reform.

State Rep. Allen Kerr wants an attorney general’s opinion on the position of state retirement systems that the names of beneficiaries and amounts owed are secret.

Lt. Gov. Bill Halter signed an agreement with one of China’s most populous provinces that could help Arkansas sell products to a country expected to become the world’s largest consumer market.

Enrollment at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff is expected to jump as much as 10 percent this fall for the second straight year.

America’s Car-Mart of Bentonville, set its annual shareholders meeting for Oct. 14 at the company headquarters. William H. Henderson, CEO, realized total compensation of $1.34 million in the company’s fiscal 2009. That’s down slightly from the $1.38 million he earned in fiscal 2008.

Windstream Corp. of Little Rock announced a lifetime price guarantee on high-speed Internet and unlimited nationwide phone service.

Soybean rust has been confirmed in six Arkansas counties, but the levels are low enough that farmers aren’t being advised to apply fungicides to their fields.

Missouri insurance regulators have gone to court to stop an Arkansas-based life insurance company from illegally changing the terms of its cancer insurance policies. The DOI alleges Central United Life Insurance Company is trying to avoid paying thousands of dollars due each of its Missouri policyholders who get treatment for cancer.

Fayetteville police officers will feel the effects of the economy next week when those on patrol start working 12-hour shifts.

The Catholic Diocese of Little Rock has been awarded a $151,500 grant to provide services to immigrant crime victims.

A Lonoke County jury handed down the stiffest penalties possible, 13 years in prison and a $20,000 fine, for a September 2008 crosswalk accident at Cabot that killed one person and severely injured another,

You may never have heard of Jericho, but it is near Marion. It seems that a police officer is suspected of shooting the fire chief in court last Friday. It all got started when the chief’s son got a ticket.

52 year-old Robin Horman of Hot Springs is fighting a DUI conviction with a private drug screen showing a blood alcohol content of 0.0%. Horan claims police mistook a physical disability and speeh impediment for being drunk.

Filed under: Arkansas

It’s Monday. Here are some Arkansas stories.

The Teacher Retirement System is investigating benefit packages issued to some administrators who moved into higher education. The System has identified 170 retirees currently employed. The review, not yet complete, has so far identified seven who earned in excess of limitations. The total they must repay: $711,421.

The latest survey of legislative demographic characteristics shows Arkansas has the 13th-highest percentage of black legislators among the 50 states, 11 percent.

Cleburne Denning, the chairman and former CEO of Murphy Oil Co. says a bill before Congress to limit pollution linked to global warming is unlikely to produce the intended result.

A Fort Smith heating and cooling products manufacturer is laying off 43 employees.

There is a possibility that Whirlpool closing its Evansville, Ind. facility will increase production at the company’s refrigerator plant in Fort Smith.

Regions Bank says Full Counsel Christian Fellowship has failed to pay off a loan on its ministry headquarters building and is suing for $1.1 million. The bank also wants to sell two smaller tracts of land owned by the church.

Originally set to begin next week, the trial of a Russellville doctor charged with federal weapons and obstruction of justice charges has been rescheduled for March 15.

The father of a Vilonia student plans to pursue charges against Vilonia High School principal Ed Sellers. Greg Turman says Sellers grabbed his son’s student ID lanyard, pushed him against a wall and held him by the head and neck, choking him.

Investigators suspect conflict between neighbors sparked acts of arson, charring three houses on the same Little Rock block since Friday.

Quarterback Cannon Smith is transferring to the University of Memphis. Cannon’s father, FedEx founder and CEO Fred Smith, sent a text message to the Miami Herald newspaper late Sunday saying “Cannon has decided to play for the University of Memphis.”

Filed under: Arkansas

Petrino at LR Touchdown Club on Monday Aug. 31

TOMORROW, MONDAY at the
Little Rock Touchdown Club

Arkansas Razorback Head Coach
BOBBY PETRINO
Monday, August 31, 2009
**********
The only media opportunity with Coach Petrino will be from 11:15-11:30 in the Envoy
room next to the Embassy Ballroom.
While the event is a sellout, a limited number of walk up seats will be available
———————————————————————————————————————————————

Coach Petrino will be making his first appearance at the Little RockTouchdown Club.
It is also game week of the season opener vs Missouri State.
GOVERNOR MIKE BEEBE will be on hand to welcome Coach Petrino to the club.
**********
For more information go to www.LRTouchdown.com
or contact Club Director Kelly Lasseigne at kellylasseigne@comcast.net
———————————————————————————————————————————————
Membership dues: $50.
Lunch: $15 for members and $25 for non members.
Attendance fee: $10.00 if you are not going to eat, but still want to attend the meeting.

Buffet Lunch 11:00-12:00, Program 12:00-1:00

Embassy Suites Hotel

***********
For More Information contact Club Director Kelly Lasseigne at kellylasseigne@comcast.net

CHECK OUT OUR TERRIFIC WEBSITE WITH INFO ON THIS SEASON’S SPEAKERS!!

LRTouchdown.com

******

The Little Rock Touchdown Club
presented by

METROPOLITAN NATIONAL BANK

Chesapeake Energy

www.ARPreps.com
Arkansas Democrat Gazette

Filed under: Little Rock

AMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: How FOX News, Hannity, Beck, Goldberg, O’Reilly and the rest brought lying to a new level

more about "AMERICAblog News| A great nation dese…", posted with vodpod

Filed under: Uncategorized

Jack sells the Town Pump, end of an era

Filed under: Dining and Drinking, Little Rock, Pat Lynch

Republican lies on health insurance reofrm just standard operating procedure

Max over at Arkansas Times has a fabulous video of Ronald Reagan’s lies about Medicare and SOCIALIZED MEDICINE. It’s also on You Tube. Great stuff.

Filed under: Health Insurance Reform, National politics

Some Lousiana politcal hardball, bad day for David Vitter

This is just great stuff. They are capable of some pretty tough campaigning down south and I do admire the style.

There’s great news out of Louisiana. U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon, a Napoleonville Democrat, has decided to take on the state’s junior senator and all-around embarrassment, David Vitter. Melancon, a longtime champion of working families and veterans, helped lead recovery efforts after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. One Louisiana political analyst said Melancon “will make it tough for Vitter” to keep his Senate seat. Longsuffering residents of the Pelican State deserve that sort of relief.

As we think about the 2010 elections, The Rant would like to present the following:

FIVE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SENATOR DAVID VITTER

1. David Vitter Thinks Canadians Shouldn’t Have Health Care, Either. It’s evidently not enough for Vitter that more than 45 million people in America have no health care. Now, he wants to expand that lack of coverage to our friends up north. Vitter recently told a town hall audience that his plan to reimport drugs from Canada has an aim beyond saving money. “My ultimate goal is to use that to cause that system to collapse,” he said.

2. David Vitter Held up FEMA Nominee Just Before Hurricane Season. Remember Katrina? Remember how important disaster management is in a hurricane-prone state like Louisiana? Vitter evidently doesn’t. Shortly before the start of this year’s hurricane season, Vitter held up the nomination of President Obama’s choice to lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Craig Fugate. Vitter was willing to compromise safety in an attempt to score political points against the White House. Not cool.

3. David Vitter Was President Bush’s “Point Man” in Louisiana; Hoped Obama “Fails.” From 2001 to 2008, Vitter voted with President Bush nearly 90 percent of the time, ranking him among the president’s top supporters. His go-along attitude shifted abruptly with the inauguration of President Obama. He agreed with Rush Limbaugh, who said he wanted the new president to “fail.” “I hope he fails in advancing leftist policy that I strongly disagree with,” Vitter said. “I think what [Limbaugh] was saying was largely what I’m saying.”

4. David Vitter Threw a Tantrum in Dulles International Airport. According to Roll Call, Vitter set off an alarm in March after opening a security door to a jet bridge in an attempt to make a flight for which boarding had ended. Roll Call said Vitter then had an exchange with an airline employee, described as a “‘do-you-know-who-I-am’ tirade that apparently grew quite heated.” The Transportation Security Administration even investigated the incident.

And last, but certainly not least …

5. David Vitter Confessed to Using D.C. Escort Service. In a revelation embarrassing to the entire state of Louisiana, Vitter in 2007 admitted to being a client of the infamous “D.C. Madam” after his phone number showed up in her records. He later apologized for his “very serious sin.”

One thing’s certainly clear: It’s long past time Louisiana retired David Vitter. As Charlie Melancon says, Louisiana deserves better.

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Filed under: National politics

First arrest of gang member involved in Conway hotel vandalism

The Smoking Gun reports the arrest of a convicted sex offender who was also hooked up with the Pranknet internet conspiracy. This group has caused considerable property damage across the country and has been the subject of an ongoing investigation by the Smoking Gun. Here is a highlight from the latest report, which does not directly involve the Conway incident.

AUGUST 26–A Texas man exposed in a TSG report about a network of malicious prank telephone callers has been arrested in connection with a hoax directed last month at a fast food restaurant. Shawn Powell, 24, is facing a criminal mischief rap for his role in a July 5 prank targeting an Arby’s in his hometown of Baytown, Texas

Filed under: Arkansas, Crime