Arkansas
Arkansas prohibits BTC miner's operation near military facility
BTC block reward miners have come under fire in the U.S. for their noise pollution. In Arkansas, legislators are aiming at the sector for a new reason: building close to military facilities.
A new bill tabled before the Arkansas Senate seeks to prohibit miners from operating within 30 miles of a U.S. military facility. Senate Bill 60, sponsored by Sen. Ricky Hill and House Speaker Brian Evans, raises national security concerns, which have sprung up elsewhere in the U.S. recently as Chinese miners expand operations in the country.
The bill seeks to amend the Arkansas Data Centers Act of 2023 to add a new section that states: “Operation of digital asset mining business within a thirty-mile radius of a military facility is prohibited.”
It defines a military facility as a physical location in the state that is operated by the United States Armed Forces or the National Guard to house military personnel or equipment, support training and operations or serve as a command center. This includes bases and camps, hospitals and clinics and arsenals.
The bill demands that all miners operating within this radius shut down their mining farms as soon as it’s signed into law by Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders. However, any miner that was operational before December 31, 2024, can continue to operate, but if the operation changes hands, it must shut down.
According to local outlets, the new bill seems to target a new mining facility under construction in Cabot, Lonoke County. The facility is located just five miles from the Little Rock Air Force Base, which the Department of Defense uses to train pilots, navigators, and flight engineers.
The mine, owned by Florida-based and local businessman Steve Landers Jr.-owned Interstate Holdings, has been heavily criticized by locals and their leaders since construction started. In December, county officials, led by Cabot Mayor Ken Kincade, held a press conference in which they criticized the mine’s noise pollution.
“We will not stand for this, and we will fight vehemently to address this company’s efforts. We will join with our neighbors in Lonoke County and our state senators and our representatives and legally do anything within our power to remove this from our community,” the mayor stated.
Sen. Hill, who sponsored the latest Senate bill, was among the speakers, and he raised national security concerns.
“Why did they pick this facility that’s less than five miles away from our air base? This is a national security concern.”
Interstate has pushed back against the bill, with the company’s Vice President, Dustin Curtis, noting that the company has never violated noise laws and is not linked to China, which are the two most common criticisms for miners.
“This bill would make Arkansas the only state in America with anything like this. No one from the governor’s office or attorney general’s office asked for this,” he told a local outlet.
Landers, the local auto dealer who owns Interstate, further criticized the bill as ‘anti-Trump.’ The Republican president has insisted that he wants to make the U.S. the mining capital.
“We’re proud Americans and just want to be good neighbors and help give Arkansans a chance to take advantage of what we believe to be a good investment,” Landers stated.
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After a cool/chilly morning that started in the 40s and 50s, Tuesday will warm to the upper 70s and low 80s with nothing but sunshine all day long.
There will be a weak front passing through Arkansas on Wednesday. There will briefly be a few clouds along the time the front actually passes through. But once the front clears, it will once again become sunny.
Starting Friday and lasting through the weekend and into next week a strong south wind will set up. That will warm Arkansas into the mid and upper 80s and introduce a higher level of humidity. It will feel a little like Summer this weekend. Rain chances will return to Central Arkansas starting on Sunday.
With a big upper-level system and cold front approaching early next week, the rain and thunderstorm chance will go up Monday, Monday night and Tuesday. Some strong to severe storms may occur Monday evening. The front will become stationary on Tuesday which will prolong the rainy period and overall help the drought situation Arkansas is facing.
NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KATV) — Purple is the color of the month in Arkansas, and Lupus Awareness Month is bringing a busy stretch of events, including a mayoral proclamation and a smooth jazz concert featuring acclaimed saxophonist Merlon Devine.
A proclamation for Lupus Awareness Month is set for 6 p.m. in North Little Rock, with Mayor Hardwick expected to present it. Organizers encouraged lupus warriors and supporters to come out.
Anita Boone, President of the Lupus Foundation of Arkansas Inc. and a former lupus warrior, described the day-to-day reality of living with the disease: “One minute you’re feeling amazing, the next minute your body is saying we can’t do this.”
Lupus is an autoimmune disease, described during the interview as a condition where the immune system attacks the body “inside out.” It can affect organs throughout the body, including the brain, lungs, heart and kidneys. Boone also shared personal impacts, saying, “I am losing, actually, ear from hearing, just because of lupus.”
The Lupus Foundation of Arkansas is also inviting the community to a Lupus Smooth Jazz Concert this Sunday, May 17, at 3:30 at The Space with Grace event venue, 2005 Main St., North Little Rock.
Gale Davis, committee chair for the Lupus Smooth Jazz Concert shared details about the concert.
Davis said guests are encouraged to “dress to impress,” though formalwear isn’t required. The event will include a photo backdrop, light hors d’oeuvres and beverages, and sponsored tables aimed at networking. It’s also a chance for people to meet other lupus warriors, learn more about the foundation’s work, and watch a video presentation highlighting events from the past year.
The featured artist, Merlon Devine, was described as an acclaimed saxophonist known for a soulful, smooth jazz sound, with a career spanning more than two decades and performances across the country and around the world. He’s also an Arkansas native who attended Little Rock Central High School. He now lives in Southern Maryland, outside Washington, D.C.
Davis said Devine’s connection to lupus is personal. She said his father had lupus and has since died, though he didn’t die from lupus. They also said Divine had a sister who died from lupus in 1981 and that he currently has two sisters living with lupus.
She also shared that, according to his doctors, Devine was born with acute asthma and underdeveloped lungs. His latest single, released last year, is called “Mercy.”
Tickets must be purchased online and will not be sold at the door. They’re available online by clicking on the flyer. Prices are $40 for individual tickets, or $400 for a table of nine, with an option to sponsor a table.
Organizers also noted another proclamation is planned for the Little Rock side with Mayor Frank Scott tomorrow, and encouraged people to follow the Lupus Foundation of Arkansas on social media for updates.
The concert will take place this Sunday at the Space With Grace Venue in North Little Rock.
ASHLAND TOWNSHIP, Mich. — An Arkansas man died after crashing a dirt bike on Sunday.
The 21-year-old Arkansas man, formerly from Newaygo, crashed into a tree while riding a dirt bike on private property in Ashland Township near Grant on Sunday before 2:30 p.m., according to Michigan State Police (MSP) troopers.
Emergency responders tried to save his life but he died at the scene.
Troopers are still investigating but do not suspect drugs or alcohol as factors in the crash.
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MSP did not initially release any additional information.
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