Arkansas

Commission recommends space for Arkansas Capitol’s upcoming ‘monument to the unborn’ • Arkansas Advocate

Published

2 years ago

June 11, 2024

Commission recommends space for Arkansas Capitol’s upcoming ‘monument to the unborn’ • Arkansas Advocate

The Arkansas Capitol Arts and Grounds Commission agreed Tuesday to recommend that the Secretary of State approve its proposed location for a “monument to the unborn” on the Capitol complex.

Act 310 of 2023 authorizes the Secretary of State to decide where to place “a suitable monument commemorating unborn children aborted during the era of Roe v. Wade.” The law states that Arkansans had at least 236,243 abortions while Roe v. Wade was in place from 1973 to 2022.

Lakey Goff, the artist behind the idea of a “living wall” of flora and fauna for the monument, proposed placing the monument in the grassy space behind the Capitol and to the north of the Supreme Court building, near a set of picnic tables. Goff and the commission spent last month’s meeting debating two other possible locations before deciding to compromise.

The monument is likely to occasionally draw crowds, such as the annual March for Life led by abortion opponents, so the monument should be placed in a highly accessible space, commissioner Michael Harry said.

“I think this new location can accommodate that, whereas the other two locations could not have,” Harry said. “It would have been a logistical nightmare.”

Several areas of the Capitol grounds are “no-monument zones,” but Goff said she ensured the space is legally available for a new monument before proposing it.

Commission recommends design for ‘monument to the unborn’ at Arkansas Capitol

Goff also said the land is important “spiritually” because it was once the site of a prison that housed both Union and Confederate soldiers during the Civil War.

“We are anointed to redeem this land by preaching the good news of Jesus, finding the broken part and setting the captives free,” Goff said. “…People will be set free from this living wall monument.”

Secretary of State John Thurston will have the final say on the monument’s location.

The commission chose Goff’s design in December from a pool of nine monument designs submitted for consideration. Goff said the idea was partially inspired by a similar installation at New York City’s Liberty Park, which overlooks the National September 11 Memorial and Museum.

The state will not use public money to construct the monument because Act 310 established a trust fund to raise money via gifts, grants and donations. Fundraising for the wall began last month, and Goff said she is aware of someone who has promised to be a monthly contributor.

Construction is not allowed to begin until 10% of the necessary funds have been donated, Harry said.

Goff told the commission she estimates construction will cost “very roughly” between $250,000 and $500,000.

Little Rock contracting firm Nabholz will be the project manager for the monument, and landscape architects from Development Consultants, Inc. of Little Rock will work on the project, Goff said.

Some commissioners expressed concern about whether the trust fund will accumulate enough money to complete the monument, which will include waterfall sounds from an underground sound system. Republican Sen. Kim Hammer of Benton, who co-sponsored Act 310 in the Legislature, said he would give the commission a “personal commitment” that construction would not begin until the trust fund has enough money for completion.

Bill to create anti-abortion monument at Arkansas Capitol heads to governor’s desk

Rep. Mary Bentley, R-Perryville, also sponsored Act 310 and was also present at Tuesday’s meeting.

In 2019, Bentley sponsored the state’s near-total abortion ban that went into effect upon the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade in June 2022.

Hammer co-sponsored a 2015 law authorizing the construction of the Capitol’s Ten Commandments monument, which has been the subject of ongoing federal litigation. Several plaintiffs have claimed this monument violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, which prohibits government entities from favoring an establishment of religion.

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Arkansas

No. 20 Lady Vols Basketball vs. Arkansas: How to Watch, Prediction, More | Rocky Top Insider

Published

9 hours ago

January 11, 2026

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No. 20 Lady Vols Basketball vs. Arkansas: How to Watch, Prediction, More | Rocky Top Insider

KNOXVILLE, TN – January 16, 2025 – “We Back Pat” on jersey during the game between the Mississippi State Bulldogs and the Tennessee Lady Volunteers at Food City Center in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Kate Luffman/Tennessee Athletics

Lady Vols basketball is back in Knoxville for a matchup with Arkansas after a two-game road stand. Tennessee is not only looking to stay perfect in SEC play, but is hosting its annual ‘We Back Pat’ game.

Here’s everything to know about the matchup, from broadcast details to a prediction.

More From RTI: Everything Lady Vols HC Kim Caldwell, PG Mia Pauldo Said After Road Win At Mississippi State

How to Watch — No. 20 Lady Vols (11-3, 3-0 SEC) vs. Arkansas (11-7, 0-3 SEC)

Start Time: 2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. CT
Location: Food City Center (Knoxville, Tenn.)
Watch: SECN+ | PxP: Andy Brock, Analyst: Kamera Harris
Online Streaming: Watch ESPN
Radio (Knoxville): The Vol Network/The Vol Network App
Vol Network radio crew: PxP: Brian Rice, Studio Host: Jay Lifford

Betting Odds

None listed yet

ESPN Matchup Predictor

Lady Vols – 98.3%

Arkansas – 1.7%

What Kim Caldwell Said After Mississippi State

“Good to get a win on the road. We know it’s a tough environment and we know that we got to win on the road in the SEC. It was good to do that. I wasn’t really proud of the rebounding, but I thought we looked a lot better in a couple different categories so that was good.”

Last Five Games

Lady Vols:

at Mississippi State, 90-90 W
at Auburn, 73-56 W
vs. Florida, 76-65 W
vs. Southern Indiana, 89-44 W
vs. Louisville (Brooklyn), 89-65 L

Arkansas:

vs. South Carolina, 93-58 L
at Alabama, 77-48 L
vs. Vanderbilt, 88-71 L
vs. Arkansas State, 81-72 L
vs. Stephen F. Austin, 82-73 W

Where They Land In Rankings

Lady Vols:

AP Poll – No. 20

Coaches Poll – No. 22

Bart Torvik – No. 13

Arkansas:

AP Poll – Unranked

Coaches Poll – Unranked

Bart Torvik – No. 107

Stat Leaders

Lady Vols:

Points: Talaysia Cooper – 14.9
Rebounds: Zee Spearman – 7.3
Assists: Talaysia Cooper – 4.3

Arkansas:

Points: Taleyah Jones – 16.9
Rebounds: Bonnie Deas – 9.7
Assists: Bonnie Deas – 2.6

Prediction

It’s been a rough start for Arkansas’ new coach, Kelsi Musick. The team is 0-3 in SEC games, and though it’s been against three good teams, the Razorbacks haven’t been competitive in any.

While neither side has been strong, Arkansas’ defense has been the weakest point. Not only is it coming off a game in which it gave up 93 points to South Carolina, but Arkansas State hung 81 in its win over the Razorbacks on the road.

If the Lady Vols don’t get in their own way, then they should be fine. It hasn’t been perfect, and against three teams not necessarily in the mix to win the league, but Tennessee has looked much improved in the SEC slate compared to the lumps it took in the out-of-conference schedule.

I’d think UT jumps on Arkansas in the first quarter and takes a comfortable lead into the second quarter. From there, the lead should continue to grow behind forced turnovers in the press and easy baskets on the other end.

Lady Vols 85, Arkansas 61

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Arkansas

Arkansas State defeats Texas State 83-82

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21 hours ago

January 10, 2026

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Arkansas

One more list of wishes for Arkansas in 2026 | Arkansas Democrat Gazette

Published

1 day ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

One more list of wishes for Arkansas in 2026 | Arkansas Democrat Gazette

Rex Nelson

rnelson@adgnewsroom.com

Rex Nelson has been senior editor and columnist at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette since 2017, and he has a biweekly podcast called “Southern Fried.”

After graduating from Ouachita Baptist University in 1981, he was a sportswriter for the Arkansas Democrat for a year before becoming editor of Arkadelphia’s Daily Siftings Herald. He was the youngest editor of a daily in Arkansas at age 23. Rex was then news and sports director at KVRC-KDEL from 1983-1985.

He returned to the Democrat as assistant sports editor in 1985. From 1986-1989, he was its Washington correspondent. He left to be Jackson T. Stephens’ consultant.

Rex became the Democrat-Gazette’s first political editor in 1992, but left in 1996 to join then-Gov. Mike Huckabee’s office. He also served from 2005-09 in the administration of President George W. Bush.

From 2009-2018, he worked stints at the Communications Group, Arkansas’ Independent Colleges and Universities, and Simmons First National Corp.

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