A rendering of the proposed Legends Resort & Casino in Pope County (Image provided by Cherokee Nation Entertainment)
Ballot question committee Local Voters in Charge has submitted 162,181 signatures to Secretary of State John Thurston to place a proposed constitutional amendment on the November ballot that requires a countywide vote on any new casino built in a community.
The proposed amendment, The Local Voter Control of Gambling Amendment, requires that any new casino built in the state be approved in a countywide special election before a casino license can be issued.
This falls just days after the Arkansas Racing Commission voted unanimously to award the state’s fourth and final casino license to Cherokee Nation Entertainment, clearing the way for a casino in Pope County after years of legal fighting over the license. If enacted, the amendment would effectively nullify the recently issued license.
The petition, according to supporters, surpassed the 90,704-voter signature requirement to qualify for the ballot. Proposed amendments must also submit a specified minimum number of signatures from at least 50 of Arkansas’ 75 counties. The group said in a press release that it met this threshold in all 75 Arkansas counties.
“In record numbers, the people of Arkansas have supported our campaign to give local voters the final say on whether a casino should be built in their town or not,” said Local Voters in Charge committee member Hans Stiritz. “Some communities might want casinos, others might not, but nearly everyone agrees that it should be up to local voters to determine the character of the communities in which they live.”
Arkansans voted to allow casinos in four counties in 2018. The amendment was approved and received a majority vote in three of those counties; a majority of Pope County residents voted against the 2018 amendment. Since then, new casino facilities have been built at Southland in West Memphis and Oaklawn in Hot Springs. The Quapaw Nation also built a new gambling hall in Pine Bluff.
In the release, Local Voters in Charge said Pope County voters overwhelmingly rejected the 2018 proposal, but they still face having a casino in the community. The amendment would remove Pope County from that authorization and require any future casino be approved by local voters.
The ballot language and amendment form was approved by Attorney General Tim Griffin prior to circulation, so once sufficient signatures have been verified by Thurston, the amendment will be assigned a ballot issue number and formally placed on the general election ballot for November.
“Our amendment language was approved by the Attorney General and we have substantially exceeded the signature and county distribution requirements for ballot initiatives. The people of Arkansas have, by their signatures, demanded a vote on this issue,” Stiritz said in the release.
Opposing the amendment is Investing in Arkansas, a group formed in May and backed by Cherokee Nation Entertainment.
“While sufficient signatures may have been turned in, this group — solely backed by a rejected out-of-state casino operator, the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma — has spent the last several months lying to Arkansans about the true intent of this ballot initiative,” Natalie Ghidotti, Investing in Arkansas vice chairman, said in a statement. “This small group wants you to believe their efforts are about a local vote, but in reality it is about revoking the casino license from Pope County — a license awarded just last week by the state of Arkansas to Cherokee Nation Entertainment.” In 2022, Fair Play Arkansas, a ballot question committee also funded by Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, failed to obtain enough signatures for a similar proposed amendment.
“Arkansas voters approved Amendment 100 in 2018, and a majority of Pope County voters still stand by that decision,” Ghidotti said. “This small group, funded by the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, is trying to rob Arkansans of thousands of jobs and shut down what will be historic economic growth for the community, region and state.”
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KATV) — Arkansas law enforcement agencies are hosting their 16th-annual Drug Take Back Day this month.
The event is designed so that Arkansans can safely and anonymously dispose of any expired, unused or unwanted medications. Officials say they want to prevent opioid misuse, reduce accidental poisonings, protect waterways from contamination and keep communities safe.
Its set to take place on Saturday, April 25.
“Arkansas Drug Take Back Day continues to bring communities together in the fight against substance misuse, and we’re proud to play such a vital part in it,” said Kirk Lane, director of the Arkansas Opioid Recovery Partnership (ARORP). “We invite Arkansans to take a few minutes to clean out their medicine cabinets, drop off unneeded prescriptions and protect their families and neighbors.”
Arkansans destroyed 26,500 pounds of medication during the fall 2025 Drug Take Back Day. Since 2010, over 342 tons have been destroyed.
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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — With the transfer portal reshaping rosters overnight and elite freshmen arriving every summer, projecting the next college basketball season has become an exercise in controlled chaos.
Still, a handful of programs have positioned themselves early as national title contenders through roster continuity, program consistency and coaching stability.
Arkansas will once again be in the mix, but its true preseason forecast will come once the portal is mostly wrapped up. Coach John Calipari knows what type of player he needs to add for his team to advance past the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 and probably won’t sleep a whole lot until he signs at least one major contributor in the paint.
No. 1 seed Michigan had a stellar run in its second season under coach Dusty May, who competes for a national championship against No. 2 seed UConn Monday night. He goes up against two-time championship coach Dan Hurley, who is looking to join elite company by winning his third trophy with the Huskies.
Which teams are best equipped already for next season? Here’s an early look at who can make a run in 2026-27.
The Wolverines absolutely make sense regardless of if they win a national title Monday night. May added a commitment from 5-star guard Brandon McCoy Saturday who projects to be a lead guard at the next level.
Key big man Yaxel Lendeborg will be a huge loss after being a critical piece to Michigan’s championship game run. Power forward Morez Johnson should return after averaging over 13 points and seven rebounds per game.
Another likely returnee is Trey McKenney, who played well as a freshman averaging 11 points and 44% shooting in the month of March.
Whether Hurley’s bid for a third title falls short, his brilliant coaching in the NCAA Tournament is worth keeping the Huskies near the top of all college basketball rankings.
Veterans such as Alex Karaban and Tarris Reed are seeing their eligibility expire while freshman Braylon Mullins could opt to enter the NBA Draft.
Veteran guard Silas Demary has been a nice addition from Georgia out of the portal this season and will likely return as the Huskies’ starting point guard.
The Blue Devils are set to lose the Boozer twins, but have signed capable replacements in true freshmen Cameron Williams and Deron Rippey, Jr.
Coach Jon Scheyer’s group will continue to run the ACC until anyone else decides to be up for the challenge. If he can find a way to keep Patrick Ngongba around for next season as his key big man, then there’s no reason to count out Duke as national title favorites once again.
No one will ever doubt coach Tom Izzo’s ability to assemble a championship contender and he did just that with Coen Carr, Jeremy Fears and company this season.
With a top high school recruiting class and a couple of key portal additions on the perimeter, the Spartans will be Big Ten title contenders and earn a Top 4 NCAA Tournament seed.
Coach Brad Underwood has made the Fightin’ Illini a raging success and nearly led his team to the promised land this season.
He discovered freshman wing Keaton Wagler before anyone else, and became a household name and potential lottery pick after arriving to school as aTop 150 prospect.
Lightning might not strike twice next year, but he’ll probably have another solid team built for a deep NCAA Tournament run. Sharpshooter Andrej Stojakovic and forward David Mirkovic are both expected to return after playing key roles in Illinois’ first Final Four run in two decades.
The Wildcats were no match for Michigan in the Final Four and are likely going to lose key freshmen Koa Peat and Brayden Burries to the NBA Draft. Keeping veteran big man Mo Krivas and key wing Ivan Kharchenkov in the rotation is key.
Adding McDonald’s All-American MVP Caleb Holt won’t hurt either as the next great freshman for the Wildcats.
Coach John Calipari knows his biggest assignment will be adding a big man or two to round out his rotation. He has a three 5-star freshmen in Jordan Smith, Jr. (No. 2 ranked prospect, JJ Andrews and Abdou Toure coming in with potential key returnee Billy Richmond to potentially lockdown the perimeter.
Arkansas fans are hungry to see their team get back to the Final Four and have been inching closer each of the previous five seasons.
The Boilermakers are set to lose All-American guard Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer and Trey Kaufman-Renn which will be hard to come back from for any team.
However, Matt Painter continues to reload with guys who often fly under the radar or lesser known on the recruiting trail out of high school. His next team may not be as talented, or veteran laden but should be fixtures in the Big Ten no matter what the offseason brings.
The Red Storm will find it tough to replace versatile big man Zury Ejifor, but if anyone can do so it’s hall of fame coach Rick Pitino. His team has been close to breaking into national title contention over the previous two seasons.
Pitino’s combination of Ian Jackson, Dylan Darling and Ruben Prey can give St. John’s a boost next season.
Nate Oats has the Crimson Tide at a level never before seen in Tuscaloosa with at least a Sweet 16 or better finish in each of the previous four seasons.
Star guard Labaron Philon is probably headed to the league as a mid-first round prospect which leaves a gaping hole in Alabama’s rotation for next season.
Top 20 freshman guard Qadyden Samuels is potentially a solid replacement with a complete offensive skillset as a three-level scorer. If his length translates well to college, he can be an exceptional perimeter defender.
Oats will need to find a way to keep key big men such as Amari Allen and Aiden Sherrell around or pick up a couple out of the transfer portal to stay near the top of the SEC.
The Cyclones were on the verge of a breakthrough before falling short in the Sweet 16. Losing All-American Joshua Jefferson early in the tournament sidelined any hopes of coach T.J. Otzelberger leading his team to its first Final Four since 1944.
Iowa State will probably make a strong run in the portal to replace other key contributors. But one thing is sure that this program has staying power on the national scene.
Each passing year it seems that the biggest question is whether or not coach Bill Self will return for another year.
He is, at least this year, but even with his exceptional recruiting skills and a deep portal budget, it seems like a slight nosedive has taken place since winning the national title in 2022.
Star freshman Darryn Peterson’s one-and-done stay in Lawrence certainly didn’t live up to the hype. Big man Flory Bidunga is currently evaluating his options, which shouldn’t give anyone a reason to rank the Jayhawks higher.
13. Iowa Hawkeyes
14. Gonzaga Bulldogs
15. Florida Gators
16. North Carolina Tar Heels
17. Louisville Cardinals
18. Wisconsin Badgers
19. Nebraska Cornhuskers
20. Houston Cougars
21. Providence Friars
22. St. Louis Billekins
23. Texas Longhorns
24. Auburn Tigers
25. LSU Tigers
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