Arkansas
Arkansas mayor, murder victim’s sister reacts to Grant Hardin’s escape
Ex-Arkansas police chief imprisoned for murder escapes prison
Grant Hardin, a former Gateway, Arkansas, police chief serving time for murder and rape, escaped from the North Central Unit in Calico Rock on May 25.
unbranded – Newsworthy
The town where Arkansas prison escapee and convicted murderer Grant Hardin once served as police chief remains on edge, according to its mayor who is also the sister of Hardin’s victim.
“Anxiety is still high,” Cheryl Tillman, the mayor of Gateway, Arkansas, told USA TODAY in an interview May 28. “I think everybody’s still on alert, being vigilant, doing every precaution that they can.”
Hardin, 56, escaped from the North Central Unit in Calico Rock on May 25, wearing a “makeshift outfit designed to mimic law enforcement,” according to the Arkansas Department of Corrections.
Hardin had been serving time for the 2017 murder of James Appleton, Tillman’s brother, in Gateway and the 1997 rape of a school teacher in nearby Rogers. He was sentenced to 80 years on the combined convictions, according to court records.
Tillman described Hardin, who served as Gateway’s police chief while Tillman was on the city council in 2016, as “very arrogant” and “angry.”
“He’s an evil person,” Tillman said.
Hardin remains at large as of Wednesday night, with the FBI, Department of Corrections, Arkansas State Police and local police were working to find Hardin, officials said earlier in the day.
Sister remembers brother slain at hands of ‘Devil in the Ozarks’
Hardin pleaded guilty to in 2017 to murder in the first degree for shooting and killing Appleton in February of the same year, according to court records.
Appleton’s brother-in-law and Cheryl’s husband, Andrew Tillman, told Benton County Sheriff’s investigators that he was on the phone with Appleton when he was shot, according to a probable cause affidavit. Andrew was the Gateway’s mayor at the time of the shooting.
Cheryl described Appleton as a “very good brother” with a strong civic sense who obtained a license to work for the Gateway Rural Water Authority when asked by his brother-in-law.
“Everybody in this town knew James. They knew that they could call James if they needed help on anything,” Tillman said.
Tillman said that learning of Hardin’s escape brought back memories of the murder.
“Everything was happening all over again. From the time he shot my brother and the time we had to go to court with him,” Tillman said.
The 1997 rape was the focus of a 2023 documentary titled “Devil in the Ozarks,” for which Tillman was interviewed. She said that the interview was “tough to do.”
“We’ve since been in touch with the subjects of that film and law enforcement and are praying for Hardin’s immediate capture in the name of justice and the victims and their families’ peace of mind,” Ari Mark, one of the executive producers of the documentary, told USA TODAY in a statement May 28.
Tillman emphasized the need for residents of Gateway, a place she described as “a very quiet town” where “everybody knows everybody,” to remain vigilant while Hardin remained at-large.
“Lock their doors. If they need to, load their guns,” Tillman said. “Whatever they need to do, just stay vigilant and watch your backs.”
Contributing: N’dea Yancey-Bragg, Michael Loria, Jorge L. Ortiz, USA TODAY.
Arkansas
Sanders Appoints Steve Kueter to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission • Arkansas Game & Fish Commission
Kueter is a lifelong resident of Greene County and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Wildlife Management from Arkansas State University. He owns and operates Kueter’s Fish Company, Inc., a third-generation catfish and baitfish farm in Paragould.
An avid hunter and fisherman since childhood, Kueter developed a lifelong appreciation for Arkansas’s outdoors through time spent hunting and fishing alongside his father, grandfather and extended family. Today, he continues that tradition with his wife, Emily, their three children, and two grandchildren.
“In my lifetime, there have been so many success stories facilitated by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission,” Kueter said. “When I was growing up, you had to travel hours away to deer hunt, and turkeys were just being reintroduced to the Ozarks. When we deer hunted in north Arkansas, we came back talking about seeing a lone track or the flash of a deer’s tail. It wasn’t often that you heard of someone harvesting a deer. Today, turkey and deer are abundant throughout most of the state. It is humbling to be appointed by Gov. Sanders and entrusted to continue the good work of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and the commissioners who have come before me.”
Arkansas
Arkansas Lottery Powerball, Cash 3 winning numbers for July 6, 2026
The Arkansas Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at Monday, July 6, 2026 results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from July 6 drawing
17-44-63-66-67, Powerball: 04, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 3 numbers from July 6 drawing
Midday: 4-5-7
Evening: 6-5-7
Check Cash 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 4 numbers from July 6 drawing
Midday: 4-6-7-1
Evening: 2-8-9-8
Check Cash 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Natural State Jackpot numbers from July 6 drawing
13-23-26-33-38
Check Natural State Jackpot payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from July 6 drawing
02-08-32-54-56, Bonus: 03
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Arkansas Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Cash 3 Midday: 12:59 p.m. CT daily except Sunday.
- Cash 3 Evening: 6:59 p.m. CT daily.
- Cash 4 Midday: 12:59 p.m. CT daily except Sunday.
- Cash 4 Evening: 6:59 p.m. CT daily.
- Lucky For Life: 9:30 p.m. CT daily.
- Natural State Jackpot: 8 p.m. CT daily except Sunday.
- LOTTO: 9 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Arkansas editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Arkansas
Arkansas restaurants adapt as rising food costs change menus and dining habits
Little Rock, Ark. (KATV) — Rising transportation, labor and food costs continue to reshape Arkansas’ restaurant industry, forcing owners to adjust menus while customers rethink how they dine out.
Food prices have increased, placing additional pressure on restaurants.
Restaurant owners say the cost of staple ingredients such as produce; dairy and meat remain one of their biggest challenges.
“When they had a freeze, our tomatoes went from $34 a case to $104 a case,” said Cole Treece of Buffalo Grill. “So little things like that, you mix in amongst the inflation already and it really puts a burden on the restaurant owner.”
At Allsopp & Chapple, owner Dillon Garcia is opening a new restaurant and said he is keeping menu items and maintaining premium ingredients.
“People aren’t ordering as many desserts, as many appetizers or as many drinks,” Garcia said.
“We’re still going to focus on really high-quality, premium ingredients. It’s just going to be at a lower price point. We’re going to focus on burgers and sandwiches versus filets and halibut.”
Alicia Payseno with the Arkansas Restaurant Association said families are scaling back what they order when dining out.
“A family that would come in and typically order an appetizer, four entrees and a dessert are really splitting meals,” Payseno said. “They’re having to be very selective in what they decide to purchase that day.”
Garcia said customers have become noticeably more price-conscious than in previous years.
“We’re definitely seeing people more concerned about prices than we’ve typically seen,” he said. “For the first time, people are actually asking, ‘Is tax included in the liquor?’”
While many restaurants have increased menu prices to offset higher operating costs, others have delayed passing those expenses to customers.
“We haven’t passed those costs yet,” Treece said. “It will get to a point where we have to pass them on to the customer because we just can’t eat it forever.”
For longtime restaurants such as Buffalo Grill, Treece said loyal customers have helped keep the business afloat despite ongoing inflation.
“We’ve been very fortunate that we have a longtime core group of customers in this area,” Treece said.
“They don’t mind paying because they know what they’re getting.”
As costs remain elevated, restaurant owners say they will continue looking for ways to balance affordability for customers while maintaining the quality that keeps diners coming back.
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