Arkansas

Resources recognition | Arkansas Democrat Gazette

Published

2 years ago

September 1, 2024

Resources recognition | Arkansas Democrat Gazette

The Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation honored those who have worked to expand the use of the state’s outdoor resources at its Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Fame Banquet on Aug. 24 at Little Rock’s Statehouse Convention Center.

Inducted into the Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Fame this year were Ret. U.S. Army Col. Shawn Daniel, executive director of Darby’s Warrior Support; and Steve Lochmann, professor of Fisheries Management and Ecology at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.

Darby’s Warrior Support is a nonprofit organization that provides all-inclusive hunting and fishing opportunities to 9/11-generation combat veterans, particularly those who served in special operations.

UAPB’s Fisheries Management and Ecology offers a bachelor of science degree in aquaculture and fisheries sciences, with research-backed programs geared toward supporting the state’s recreational fishing industry.

The Steve Smith Spirit of Giving Award went to the Mayfly Project, founded by Jess and Laura Westbrook in Arkansas in 2015 and now active in multiple states. The Mayfly Project introduces children in foster care to fly fishing and offers them education about their local water ecosystems.

The Foundation bestowed its Legacy Award on the late Andy Simmons, who donated 237 acres of land on the Jefferson/Lincoln county line, formerly a hunting property, for the education and promotion of waterfowl conservation and outdoor recreational activities. That land is now the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Simmons Outdoor Skills Farm.

— Story and photos by Kimberly Dishongh

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Arkansas

Arkansas Governor joins national A.I. workforce initiative

Published

9 hours ago

June 25, 2026

Press Room

Arkansas Governor joins national A.I. workforce initiative

LITTLE ROCK, AR (KATV) — Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders has joined a new national artificial intelligence initiative that launched Thursday, June 25.

RAISE US, started by former Governor Eric Holcomb of Indiana and Gina Raimondo, former U.S. Secretary of Commerce is a nonpartisan national organization that will partner with governors, employers, workers and training organizations to help the workforce transition to an AI economy.

“As artificial intelligence transforms America’s economy, we have one clear message: technology should empower people, not replace them. By leveraging our Arkansas LAUNCH initiative, and with the resources and expertise provided by RAISE US, Arkansas will turn that mission into reality. We want the Natural State to be a leader on education, workforce training, and up-skilling, and this new partnership gives us the tools we need to build a model for the entire nation.”

The organization will design and pilot incentives to retrain workers, new approaches to support job transitions, and training models tied to employer demand.

RAISE US launches with more than two dozen American companies and philanthropies and initial state partnerships in Connecticut, Maryland and Utah.

“America has a technology strategy for leading the global AI competition. It does not yet have a people strategy — and we cannot lead without one,” Raimondo, who will serve as CEO of RAISE US, said.

“If we build the best AI systems in the world and leave millions of Americans behind, we won’t have won anything; we’ll have automated our own decline. I believe AI will create new jobs and industries over time, but the transition could be disruptive, and it’s already underway. We shouldn’t fearmonger, but we can’t pretend our training and worker support systems are ready either. It’s time for innovative and practical solutions. This moment demands ambition, urgency, and creativity. We’ve assembled the country’s top companies, best economists, and bipartisan governors at a scale rarely seen — all to advance new ideas and incentives, pilot them with governors and business, and scale what works.”

Governor Sanders is partnering with RAISE US to support Arkansas LAUNCH, an AI-powered career navigation platform that connects students and jobseekers to personalized learning and employer-linked career pathways.

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