Arkansas
Arkansas lawmakers question implementation of federal refugee resettlement program • Arkansas Advocate
Arkansas lawmakers on a split vote approved an amended Department of Human Services appropriations bill Thursday and promised continued discussion about the state’s involvement in a federal refugee resettlement program.
The Joint Budget Committee advanced an amended version of House Bill 1077 that changed some appropriations for DHS’ Division of County Operations, but the refugee program’s appropriation remained at $272,846.
Van Buren Republican Rep. Ryan Rose said his qualms about DHS issuing a roughly $65,000 subgrant to the state’s social services designee for the refugee program, Canopy Northwest Arkansas, shouldn’t “torpedo” the Division of County Operations’ budget. However, Rose said after this contract ends, the legislature should not send more money to the nonprofit organization.
“For a number of us, the challenge is we have significant concerns with the funding going to an organization that has the reputation that it does in this arena and that the only security we have on these individuals who come into our state is that they’re federally vetted,” Rose said. “That’s the only kind of outlier there is, hey, we should feel comfortable because they’re federally vetted, which doesn’t give me any comfort.”
Division of County Operations Director Mary Franklin said vetting by the U.S. State Department typically lasts about two years and some applicants have lived in refugee camps as long as 15 years before starting that vetting process. She also noted that if officials discover significant criminal history, refugees would not be allowed to continue the process.
Rose told the Advocate concerns have been voiced by legislators and local residents about the impact of refugee resettlement and the transparency of organizations involved, such as Canopy NWA, which has resettled hundreds of refugees.
“This has raised questions about potential strains on resources, infrastructure and social services in our state,” Rose said. “Additionally, there are concerns about the ideological alignment of organizations like Canopy NWA with the values and priorities of our communities.”
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The federal Office of Refugee Resettlement was established by the Refugee Act of 1980. Individuals granted refugee status by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security are brought to the United States by the State Department, according to the Federal Register. Voluntary agencies and the ORR help resettle refugees, who are eligible for benefits and services when they arrive in the country.
As Human Services’ social services designee, Canopy NWA can help refugees get settled by assisting them with housing or accessing required health screenings, Franklin said. Meanwhile, state agencies can coordinate the distribution of federal funds through cash and medical assistance to eligible refugees for up to 12 months after they enter the United States.
Franklin said the cash assistance and eligibility requirements for refugees are the same as those for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. The amount is $81 a month per individual with a limit of $523 per month regardless of household size.
In response to lawmakers’ questions about the state’s partnership with Canopy NWA and its continued participation in the federal program, DHS Secretary Kristi Putnam said that under its current arrangement, the state is able to designate an agency to provide data about refugees resettling in Arkansas.
“Without that ability to make that designation, if Arkansas were to opt out completely, we would lose any ability that we have to have insights and information and coordination with the agency to know what kinds of outcomes there are, the locations where people are resettling. We would not have that information,” Putnam said.
Franklin said 169 refugees resettled in Arkansas in federal fiscal year 2023. For fiscal year 2024, which began in October, that number is currently 130.
The number of refugees admitted to the U.S. is controlled by the federal government. President Joe Biden in September set a refugee admissions target of 125,000 for fiscal year 2024. The U.S. has admitted more than 3 million refugees since the passage of the Refugee Act of 1980.
The Arkansas high school football high school football season is nearing its end and the Bryant Hornets remain in the top spot Top 25 rankings.
Besides the Hornets, who else makes the cut for the Top 25 high school football teams list out of Arkansas?
From established powers to emerging programs, here are the top 25 teams in the Natural State, according to Massey.
The Massey Ratings, officially used during the BCS era, is a model that ranks sports teams by analyzing game outcomes, strength of schedule, and margin of victory as of Oct. 28.
1. Bryant Hornets
Bryant (8-0) has maintained the top spot in the Arkansas high school football rankings throughout the season as the head to the regular season finish line. Hornets up next will face North Little Rock (3-5) this Friday night.
The Hornets most recent win was a 49-3 decision over Cabot as they have two games remaining.
All the question marks on offense have been checked off as the Hornets have begun a new era behind center with Kyler Shelby, who saw limited game action in 2024 as a sophomore last season while playing behind Jordan Walker.
2. Bentonville Tigers
Bentonville (9-0) is coming off a tight victory over No. 4 Rogers, with the Tigers winning 31-28.
The 5-time state champion Tigers are coming off a 9-4 campaign and needing to replace plenty of starters on both sides of the ball. Bentonville is armed with a pair of Arkansas commitments in four-star wide receiver Dequane Prevo and three-star Blair Irvin.
The Tigers finish the regular season with games against Springdale and Bentonville West.
3. Greenwood Bulldogs
Greenwood Bulldogs (8-0) having the state’s best quarterback in Kane Archer certainly helps and the Bulldogs boasting the UCF commit behind center makes them dangerous every Friday night on offense.
Archer has made the argument to being the state’s Most Valuable Player as the senior signal caller, with the future Knight completing 172 of 227 passes for 2,141 yards and 18 touchdowns.
The Bulldogs finishes off the season with Southside and No. 11 Mountain Home.
4. Rogers Mountaineers
The Rogers Mountaineers (7-1) are coming off a narrow 31-28 loss to Bentonville last week, but remain in the Top 5 of this week’s rankings.
The Mountaineers’ defense has been solid all season long behind the play of BYU commitment Braxton Lindsey, who leads a defensive unit that’s only yielded. Rogers closes out the regular season with games against Har-Ber and Rogers Heritage.
5. Conway Wampus Cats
Conway (7-1) started the season off with an offensive explosion as they defeated Jonesboro in a 68-37 shootout.
The Wampus Cats feature a couple of the state’s top players in three-star safety Tay Lockett (Arkansas commit) and interior offensive lineman Isaiah Bowman (Arkansas State commit). Lockett is already making an impact on both sides of the ball as Conway has become a viable state title contender.
Last week, Conway won another offensive shootout, 61-38, over Pulaski Academy. This Friday night the Wampus Cats take on Little Rock Christian Academy.
6. Benton (6-2)
7. Shiloh Christian (7-2)
8. Bentonville West (6-2)
9. Joe T. Robinson (8-0)
10. Fayetteville (4-4)
11. Mountain Home (7-1)
12. Little Rock Christian Academy (6-2)
13. Parkview Magnet (5-3)
14. Greenbrier (8-0)
15. Lakeside (7-1)
16. Arkadelphia (7-1)
17. Sylvan Hills (7-1)
18. Pulaski Academy (2-6)
19. Hot Springs (7-1)
20. Jonesboro (4-4)
21. El Dorado (5-3)
22. Farmington (6-2)
23. Searcy (7-1)
24. Har-Ber (3-5)
25. North Little Rock (3-5)
For Arkansas high school football fans, staying updated on the action is now easier than ever with the Rivals High School Scoreboard. This comprehensive resource provides real-time updates and final scores from across the state, ensuring you never miss a moment of the Friday night frenzy. From nail-biting finishes to dominant performances, the Rivals High School Scoreboard is your one-stop destination for tracking all the gridiron excitement in the Natural State.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The ongoing federal government shutdown is impacting funding for programs like SNAP, and organizations like the Arkansas Foodbank are preparing for a surge in those needing support.
“SNAP is a critical program that helps ensure families all across our state have access to nutritious foods, and even a brief disruption is problematic,” DHS Secretary Janet Mann said in a statement. “Arkansans have a history of coming together to help each other in difficult times. Please check on friends, family, and neighbors and donate time or money to food banks if you are able.”
The Arkansas Foodbank supports 400 partner pantries from urban centers to rural towns. Marketing and Communications Director Sarah Jenkins said they’re rolling out toolkits to help them meet the surge, everything from extra fundraising to extended distribution hours.
“If we made everyone come to Little Rock to go to a mobile distribution, we wouldn’t be able to meet the need, that’s why we’re pushing everyone out to our 400 partner agencies,” Jenkins said.
The Arkansas DHS said it is awaiting additional guidance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which administers SNAP. The USDA announced it will not issue November benefits unless the federal government reopens, after the Trump administration declined to release $5 billion in contingency funds that would have extended the program.
SNAP, which helps one in eight Americans buy groceries, is a lifeline that also extends to the 240,000 recipients across Arkansas, where food insecurity is among the worst in the nation.
“For every one meal that we can provide, SNAP provides nine,” Jenkins said. SNAP is also great because it provides dignity to the people using it.”
The organization says it’s ready for the short term, but cannot fill the federal gap alone for a state where one in four children does not have reliable access to food.
“We do have to have both community support but also government support,” Jenkins said. “The government has to reopen to support the neighbors that we serve, so we don’t have a timeline on what we can do.”
Last year, the food bank distributed more than 41 million pounds of food, but with SNAP halted, they say every donation counts.
For updates, Arkansans can visit the DHS SNAP website at HumanServices.Arkansas.gov.
Arkansas
Arkansas educators report more engagement, less bullying after schools go phone-free | Arkansas Democrat Gazette
Dmitry Martirosov
Dmitry Martirosov is a reporter covering K-12 education for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. He writes about the issues affecting students, teachers and families and has a particular interest in transparency, as well as the day-to-day political battles over education. Before joining the Democrat-Gazette, he covered government and politics in Charlottesville, Virginia, and was a political reporter based in Columbia, Missouri, where he covered the state legislature in Jefferson City. He is a graduate of the University of Missouri, where he studied journalism and political science.
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