Susan Altrui, the director of the Little Rock Zoo, has been named Little Rock’s acting city manager effective Sunday, Jan. 5, according to a spokesperson for Mayor Frank Scott Jr.
Two people were wounded in a shooting at an Arkansas mall on Black Friday, one of the busiest shopping days of the year, authorities said.
Little Rock police in a news release called the shooting, which occurred at 1:44 p.m. local time at Park Plaza, an isolated incident rather than an active shooter situation. Police said that it was believed to have started as a “disturbance between two individuals, which escalated into gunfire.”
Both victims are expected to make full recoveries, police said. No arrests were immediately announced.
Little Rock Police Chief Heath Helton initially said in an afternoon news conference that responding officers found one wounded person at the scene and two others arrived at a hospital later. However, police later clarified that only one victim had been taken to an area hospital by private vehicle, not two.
The exact circumstances of the shooting were unclear. Troy Daniell, a manager for Journey’s Kidz shoe store, told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette he was working when he heard the gunshots “and got all of the customers that were in my store out of there. I got them all in the back of the store and out of there. When I heard the first (shot) I thought something may have fell, but then I heard a few more shots and immediately understood what was happening.”
In a statement, Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. said that “the careless, senseless and criminal actions of two individuals today jeopardized the lives and safety of residents and visitors. We are praying for the victims of this incident and hoping they make a full recovery.”
Peyton Bolling was crowned Miss America’s Teen 2025 on Saturday night in Orlando, Florida.
Bolling, who competed as Miss Arkansas’ Teen, is from Rogers and attends Bentonville High School. She performed a jazz dance in the pageant’s talent competition on Saturday. The teen pageant — which includes talent, evening gown and on-stage question segments — is part of the Miss America organization.
Along with the title of Miss America’s Teen, Bolling will receive $50,000 in scholarship money and a yearlong reign, according to the Miss America organization. During her year as Miss America’s Teen, Bolling will travel across the country and use her platform to raise awareness about her philanthropic effort, known as Simple Acts of Citizenship. She’ll also serve as a role model for young girls and a brand ambassador for the Miss America’s Teen program.
Ali Mims, Miss Alabama’s Teen, was named first-runner up for Miss America’s Teen on Saturday and earned $10,000 in scholarship money. Mims, from Harpersville, was featured throughout the finals event and performed a soprano aria during the talent competition, singing “O Mio Babbino Caro” (“Oh, my Dear Papa”) from Giacomo Puccini’s 1918 opera “Gianni Schicchi.”
Also, Mims was one of three winners in Tuesday’s evening gown preliminary for Miss America’s Teen, earning a $3,000 scholarship.
Mims is a student at Chelsea High School. Her philanthropic platform for Miss Alabama’s Teen is the Joyful Noise Foundation: Music Education for the Special Needs Community, It raises money to put musical instruments in special needs classes.
A total of 51 teens were in the running for 2025, competing in preliminary events this week and the finals on Saturday at the Walt Disney Theater in Orlando. All had previously been crowned at pageants in their home states or Puerto Rico.
Aside from Bolling and Mims, the top five finalists were:
As runners-up, Bumgarner, Mignucci and Krause each earned $10,000 in scholarship money, according to the Miss America organization. The finals were livestreamed on the Miss America YouTube channel and PageantVision.com.
The top 11 contestants for Miss America’s Teen were:
The undefeated and top-ranked Tennessee Volunteers kick off SEC play at home with a Saturday afternoon matchup against the No. 23 Arkansas Razorbacks. The contest is scheduled to start at 1 p.m. ET with TV coverage on ESPN and streaming on-demand.
#23 Arkansas Razorbacks (11-2) at #1 Tennessee Volunteers (13-0)dd
NCAA men’s basketball matchup at a glance
When: Saturday, Jan. 4 at 1 p.m. ET
Where: Food City Center, Knoxville, Tenn.
TV channel: ESPN
Live streams: FuboTV (free trial) | SlingTV (low intro rate) | DirecTV Stream (free trial)
In a conference that claims seven of the top 17 teams in the most recent of Associated Press national rankings, Tennessee has risen to the top with its perfect start and ability to win on either end of the floor. The Vols rank No. 2 nationally in scoring defense (56.2 ppg), No. 2 in field goal percentage defense (34.7%) and No. 1 in 3-point defense (24.6%).
Arkansas ranks among the most efficient offenses in the country with the fourth-best field goal percentage (51.5%) and 14th-best effective field goal percent (58.3%). The Razorbacks wrapped a competitive non-conference schedule with an 11-2 record, but moved into a January schedule that begins with three straight games against ranked opponents.
Tennessee Vols vs. Arkansas Razorbacks: Know your live streaming options
The Vols and Razorbacks are set for a 1 p.m. ET start on ESPN. Live streams are available from FuboTV (free trial), DirecTV Stream (free trial) and SlingTV (low intro rate).
January 3, 2025 at 7:49 p.m.
Joseph Flaherty
Susan Altrui, the director of the Little Rock Zoo, has been named Little Rock’s acting city manager effective Sunday, Jan. 5, according to a spokesperson for Mayor Frank Scott Jr.
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