LITTLE ROCK – The Arkansas Department of Transportation estimates that in 2027 and 2028 about $2.2 billion of new projects will be added to its list of highway improvements. That estimate comes from the department’s chief engineer for preconstruction, in an interview in the summer issue of the agency’s magazine.
Shopping Smart Saves at the Grocery Store Those of us that regularly shop for groceries are aware of the rising costs of food. We can’t change cost increases, but we can work on shopping smarter to stretch our food dollars.
Words spoken by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in his inaugural address. We, at that time, maybe only thought there was a possibility that we had something to fear. That fear would come to a head on December 7, 1941, when we were plunged into a worldwide war by an attack at our naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Fear is a controlling factor, one that has motivated people as well as the lower animals since the beginning of life on our world. Kerry and I have a dog, he is a very good boy, and his name is Elliot. He is somewhere near 10 years old or more. He has been in our life for a bit over 9 years. Elliot has known great fear in his life. He works every day and has for those 9 years to overcome his fears. I doubt that he ever will. But tonight, I watched him as he lay on the daybed in the living room watching TV, with his buddy, Spirit, whom, I might add, was his rescuer. But tonight, he was lying at Kerry’s feet with his butt snuggled into her calf and her other leg folded against his back, and he was so content and relaxed. His butt and back were covered. I wonder how many of us never reach that contentment of having our ‘back and butt’ covered? With a dog, that is the position and place of safety and relaxation. Those are the two points that they fear will be attacked, and if they have someone to protect them there, they are content.
Ms. Lowe, I have enjoyed your columns and feel kind of like we went to different schools together; in the way we were raised. Being a former Marine, it breaks my heart every time I hear or read about the despicable things the current Republican presidential candidate says about our veterans. From speaking of John Mc-Cain as a loser because he was wounded and captured, to making sure no disabled service members were never seen at his rallies, he is absolutely disgusting.
A Burglar’s Peace. Welcome to Clayton County is a limited weekly column exploring the life of General Powell Clayton, the original namesake of our county, our early history, and why we are not called Clayton County today.
Recently, the Arkansas State Police (ASP) issued a reminder for parents to remain vigilant in recognizing and preventing online predators from targeting children. This summer alone, ASP has issued several Missing/Endangered Advisories for missing children and teens, including five Amber Alerts since May.
LITTLE ROCK – More than 3,000 families applied for Education Freedom Accounts during the first week of August, bringing the total number of applicants statewide to 15,365. The Internet portal for applications had been closed over the summer and re-opened on July 29, when about 12,000 applications had been approved.
I recently wrote a 30-day devotional, Quantum Pearls: Finding Spiritual Wisdom in the Mundane Moments. Each daily devotional has a Biblical scripture that is followed by a personal story and some lesson I have gained from the scripture and story.
From the earliest knowledge we have been able to obtain, mankind has had a burning desire to tell his story. Regardless of whether you believe that we are a species of Simian origin, or if we came down through the lineage of the biblical Adam, they all wanted their story to be told. We have many different kinds of stories left to us. In the rainforests of South America there is a humongous rock wall that is covered in paintings of ancient people and animals and whatever else they thought worthy of sharing. Again, we find these on walls in North America as well, and in caves in Europe and elsewhere. Man wants to tell his story.
As summer draws to a close and Arkansas students prepare to return to school, there is a strong sense of unease among parents, educators, and concerned citizens alike. The source of this anxiety is largely the LEARNS Act. This massive legislative overhaul, mainly aimed at reshaping our educational system, poses significant risks to the quality and accessibility of education in our state.