Arkansas

Arkansas officials plan immediate bed expansions while they await new prison • Arkansas Advocate

Published

1 year ago

August 30, 2024

Arkansas officials plan immediate bed expansions while they await new prison • Arkansas Advocate

In an attempt to relieve pressure from crowded county jails while the completion of a new 3,000-bed prison facility remains in the distant future, the Arkansas Department of Corrections and Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders have turned their focus to immediate expansions.

“We have roughly [a] 16,000-prison-bed capacity and we have north of 17,000 people that need to occupy that space,” Sanders told the Advocate Tuesday. “So it’s very clear that you don’t have to be great at math to know those numbers don’t add up, and so looking for every opportunity we can to expand capacity and crack down, make sure that violent repeat offenders aren’t back on the street.”

According to a Friday report to the prison board, more than 2,100 state inmates were being held in county jails, Division of Correction Director Dexter Payne said.

Officials started moving inmates into a vacant Tucker Unit work release facility earlier this month, and recently completed the transfer of 124 people, all of whom are either assigned to a work-release program or require minimum security.

The expansion at the Tucker Unit in Jefferson County was a project proposed by former Corrections Secretary Joe Profiri, who was fired from his corrections position and then hired as a senior adviser to Sanders. Profiri’s pursuit to quickly add more beds amidst staffing shortages caused issues among Board of Corrections members, primarily with Chairman Benny Magness.

Profiri was not mentioned during Friday’s discussion.

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Nearly 325 additional beds are planned in three other state correctional facilities in Batesville, Texarkana and Newport. Department Secretary Lindsay Wallace said the projects were moving toward completion and should be finalized in mid-October.

The 3,000-bed prison, which Sanders announced last March, is still in the preliminary phase. According to a recent press release from the department, officials are working alongside Sanders’ office in the selection of an “owner’s representative,” who will provide design, engineering and construction advice for the new prison.

When board member William Byers asked about the new prison Friday — which Wallace referred to as the “big elephant in the room” — Wallace assured members that selecting the owner’s representative would “really be the trigger that really pushes [us] forward.”

The land for the new prison has not been selected, Wallace said.

Counsel contract

Though not on the agenda for Friday’s meeting, board member Lee Watson asked his colleagues to consider rescinding a previous procurement document related to attorney Abtin Mehdizadegan. He said rescinding the document would clarify that the board’s engagement letter with the attorney from December remains in full effect.

Arkansas’ prison board in March announced it would investigate when and how changes were made to a legal contract without the knowledge of state procurement officials. In the months that followed, lawmakers criticized members of the board for being unaware of their altered contract and took issue with the lack of a formal bid process for the contract.

UPDATED: Arkansas lawmakers approve audit into Corrections Board’s hiring of outside counsel

Lawmakers in June authorized the state’s independent auditing agency to conduct an audit of the correction board’s hiring of Mehdizadegan as outside counsel.

The board rejected Watson’s motion to immediately take action on the procurement documents. Board member Lona McCastlain said she didn’t “see what the hurry [was]” and wanted to have enough time to fully look over any related documents.

Watson said he received an agreement letter from Mehdizadegan Thursday evening, which he said was why the board didn’t have much time to review it. McCastlain said that type of quick work is “exactly why we’re here. Because we don’t look at it.”

The agreement will be taken up at the Board of Correction’s in-person meeting next month.

Other business

Board members at the start of Friday’s meeting met in executive session for more than four hours to conduct interviews for an “executive assistant to the director.” When they returned from meeting in private, Magness announced the board approved the hire of Effie Murphy.

According to the online job description, minimum qualifications for the position include a bachelor’s degree in a related field, two years of experience in program administration or a related field, and one year in a supervisory capacity. Job functions include scheduling meetings, preparing agendas, and maintaining various records.

The Board of Corrections in July announced they received 26 applications for a public information officer position, but decided to amend the job description and repost it. Currently, at least three PIO-related positions are listed on the department’s career webpage.

The interviews board members conducted Friday were not for the PIO position, though Magness said Murphy would help Shari Gray, an assistant to the board who has taken on many communications-related tasks since their previous employee retired.

Magness said in July he was looking for a “true public relations person” who would share more positive news about the agency.

Antoinette Grajeda contributed to this report.

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Arkansas

Who is Taylen Green? Arkansas QB dazzles with record-setting NFL combine performance

Published

3 hours ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

Who is Taylen Green? Arkansas QB dazzles with record-setting NFL combine performance

Move over, Anthony Richardson. There’s a new quarterback athletic marvel at the NFL scouting combine.

On Saturday in Indianapolis, Arkansas’ Taylen Green broke Richardson’s top marks at the position since 2003 for both the vertical leap and broad jump. Green’s 43½-inch vertical topped Richardson’s previous high by three inches, while his 11-2 broad jump beat the Indianapolis Colts signal-caller’s measurement by five inches.

Then, Green reeled off a 4.36-second 40-yard dash time. That stood as the second-best time for any quarterback since 2003, trailing only Reggie McNeal in 2006 (4.35 seconds). Richardson, for comparison, logged a 4.43-second mark in 2023.

Green didn’t even bother with a second attempt after his initial time.

The testing profile created quite the stir around the 6-6, 227-pound passer, who had widely projected as a developmental option for teams on Day 3.

NFL Network’s Charles Davis said Green told him that no teams had approached him about working out as a receiver, adding that he would not be interested in a position switch.

Green started for the Razorbacks for the last two seasons after playing the first three years of his career at Boise State. Known for his running ability and ample arm strength, Green threw for 2,714 yards and 19 touchdowns last year while adding 777 yards and eight scores on the ground.

It was a banner day for Arkansas, as running back Mike Washington Jr. also stood out among his peers with a group-leading 4.33-second 40-yard dash as well as strong marks in the vertical leap (39 inches) and broad jump (10-8).

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Arkansas

George Dunklin’s legacy of conservation in Arkansas | Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Published

15 hours ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

George Dunklin’s legacy of conservation in Arkansas | Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Rex Nelson

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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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Arkansas

Hogs Look to Rebound After Midweek Split with Arkansas State

Published

1 day ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Hogs Look to Rebound After Midweek Split with Arkansas State

Arkansas got a quick reminder this week that baseball doesn’t hand out easy wins.

The Razorbacks head into the weekend after splitting a midweek set with Arkansas State, a two-game stretch that showed both the highs and lows of early season baseball.

Now, the Hogs turn the page and prepare to host UT Arlington in a three-game series at Baum-Walker Stadium.

Arkansas enters the weekend 7-2 overall. UT Arlington comes in at 2-6. First pitch Friday is set for 3 p.m., with Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. Friday’s game will stream on SEC Network+.

Midweek Split Shows Two Sides of Arkansas

The midweek matchup with Arkansas State didn’t go the way the Razorbacks expected at first. In Game 1, Arkansas State won 12-4. It marked the first loss to the Red Wolves in program history.

The Hogs struggled on the mound and couldn’t keep pace as Arkansas State built separation. The result was a reminder that even in-state games can turn quickly if things slip early.

But 24 hours later, Arkansas looked like a different team.

In Game 2, the Razorbacks leaned on dominant pitching and edged Arkansas State 1-0 in a tight contest. It was the kind of bounce-back performance coaches want to see after a tough loss.

The split left Arkansas with lessons on both sides — how quickly things can unravel and how steady pitching can win a game even when runs are hard to find.

Home Comfort at Baum-Walker Stadium

Now the Razorbacks return to Baum-Walker Stadium looking to build momentum.

The Hogs have been strong at home and will try to use that setting to steady the ship after the midweek ups and downs. Playing in Fayetteville gives Arkansas a familiar environment and a chance to settle into its routine.

UT Arlington, meanwhile, is coming off a rough stretch. The Mavericks lost their midweek game to Dallas Baptist 6-1 and were swept in a weekend series against Lamar after winning the opener 10-2 before dropping the next two games.

Arkansas has the edge historically, leading the all-time series 7-1. The teams haven’t met since 2006, when the Razorbacks swept a series in Honolulu. This will be the first time UT Arlington plays in Fayetteville.

Pitching Matchups to Watch

The Hogs will roll out a strong weekend rotation.

Friday’s starter is right-hander Gabe Gaeckle (1-0, 1.93 ERA). He’ll face UT Arlington right-hander Caylon Dygert (0-0, 1.80 ERA). That matchup could set the tone for the series opener.

On Saturday, left-hander Hunter Dietz (0-1, 9.00 ERA) is scheduled to pitch for Arkansas against Dylan Skolfield (0-2, 6.48 ERA) for the Mavericks.

Sunday’s game will feature left-hander Colin Fisher (1-0, 0.00 ERA) for the Razorbacks. UT Arlington has not yet named a starter for the series finale.

After seeing how important pitching was in the 1-0 win over Arkansas State, Arkansas will look for more steady outings from its starters and bullpen.

Finding Consistency Early

Through nine games, the Hogs have shown flashes of strong offense and solid pitching. But the midweek split showed that consistency is still forming.

The loss to Arkansas State proved that mistakes can pile up fast. The narrow win that followed showed that disciplined pitching and defense can close out tight games.

This weekend gives Arkansas another chance to sharpen its approach before the schedule gets tougher later in the season.

For fans, the path to watching is simple. Friday’s game streams on SEC Network+, and radio coverage will be available in Fayetteville on 92.1 FM and AM 1590, along with other affiliates across the state.