Arkansas

Arkansas purchases Franklin County land for new prison site • Arkansas Advocate

Published

3 weeks ago

October 31, 2024

Arkansas purchases Franklin County land for new prison site • Arkansas Advocate

The state has purchased 815 acres in Charleston for $2.95 million to build a new prison to help alleviate overcrowding that requires housing inmates in county jails, Arkansas officials announced Thursday.

The state spends roughly $30 million a year to house about 3,000 inmates in county facilities, according to a press release. More prison beds also likely will be needed in the future due to the Protect Arkansas Act. Backed by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the 2023 law overhauls the state’s parole system and eliminates the possibility of parole for the most serious offenders.

“The Department of Corrections’ mission is to provide safety and hope for Arkansans, but we won’t accomplish that effectively without adequate bed capacity,” Secretary of Corrections Lindsay Wallace said in a statement.

“Working with Governor Sanders, our Department has opened more than 1,100 prison beds to alleviate our state’s longstanding bed shortage and we plan to open hundreds more soon. With this new facility, we will add even more beds and deliver on our promises to the people of Arkansas.”

Department of Corrections officials did not have an estimated timeline or a full cost estimate for the prison Thursday. The project is expected to create thousands of construction jobs, and once the prison is built, it’s estimated it will employ nearly 800 people at an annual average salary of $46,600, according to the release.

Located about a half hour east of the Oklahoma border, the secluded Franklin County site offers needed infrastructure for what’s expected to be a 3,000-bed facility, including cell phone reception, water lines, electricity and a nearby fire department, and it’s also close to thousands of workers who could staff the facility, officials said.

Unofficial news about the purchase broke Wednesday when KDYN Radio announced in a social media post that Sanders would discuss the prison project on air Thursday afternoon. The news garnered hundreds of comments, many of which expressed displeasure about building a prison in the region and concerns about a lack of community input.

Asked about these issues during Thursday’s broadcast, Sanders said local officials were not involved in the site selection process, which was “a state-funded, state decision,” but said some were notified ahead of the formal announcement. Sanders said her administration has been very open about building a new prison in the state and is committed to working with local stakeholders throughout the rest of the process.

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Additionally, Sanders said the project is a major economic investment in the area and will help improve public safety in the state.

“These people that we will be locking up in this prison can either be in this prison and in this facility where they are guarded or they can be in your community, and right now that’s our alternative,” Sanders said.

“Right now we don’t have the space and we don’t have the ability to arrest and lock them up. So instead of letting people free, we can put them in this facility and make sure that our state and our communities are infinitely safer.”

The governor said she’d like to break ground as soon as possible, but noted it will likely be a couple of years before the facility is fully operational. The Board of Corrections must vote to approve the prison site before construction can begin, according to the governor’s office.

It’s been two decades since the state last built a new prison. The first phase of the Ouachita River Correctional Unit opened in Malvern in 2004 when Sanders’ father, Mike Huckabee, was governor.

Nearly 20 years later, former Gov. Asa Hutchinson proposed expanding the Corrections Department’s North Central Unit in Calico Rock by almost 500 beds using surplus funds. State lawmakers approved $75 million for the expansion in December 2022, but the project was put on hold when Sanders took office in January 2023.

Arkansas prison board OKs managerial contract to develop new facility

Last November, the governor and attorney general began butting heads with the Board of Corrections over plans to expand the state’s prison capacity and who has ultimate authority over Arkansas’ correctional system. The dispute resulted in lawsuits and the firing of former Corrections Secretary Joe Profiri, who was then hired as a senior advisor to the governor. Officials said Thursday they anticipate relying on his expertise while building the new prison.

While discussions about a new prison continued, the Department of Corrections in August turned its attention to immediate expansions when officials announced more than 100 inmates were being moved into a vacant work release facility at the Tucker Unit in Jefferson County. Officials also announced nearly 325 additional beds were planned in three other state correctional facilities in Batesville, Texarkana and Newport.

In September, Arkansas prison officials approved the acquisition of two facilities in Mississippi and Phillips counties for additional expansion opportunities.

The Board of Corrections earlier this month voted to approve a contract with Vanir Construction Management to help oversee development of the new prison.

The board’s next meeting is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Monday at the Tucker Unit. The agenda includes a discussion about new bed space and an update on the county jail backup.

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Arkansas

Arkansas becomes bowl eligible with win over Louisiana Tech

Published

6 hours ago

November 23, 2024

Press Room

Arkansas becomes bowl eligible with win over Louisiana Tech

FAYETTEVILLE — The Arkansas Razorbacks (6-5, 3-4 SEC) secured bowl eligibility with a 35-14 win over the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (4-7, 3-4 CUSA) on Saturday at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium.

The Razorback offense struggled in the first half and only scored 14 points before the two teams went to the locker rooms at halftime. Quarterback Taylen Green threw an interception, wide receiver Andrew Armstrong fumbled and the Hogs punted three times in the first two quarters.

Outside of the fumble, Armstrong had a strong game that put him into the Arkansas record books. With his eight reception, 81-yard game, he became the fifth player in school history to reach 1,000 receiving yards in a single season. Armstrong also took sole position of second place in school history for single-season receptions with 69 on the season.

Arkansas’ offense fared somewhat better in the second half with a touchdown pass to wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa — his second of the day — an eight-yard touchdown run by Green and a 13-yard score on the ground by running back Ja’Quinden Jackson. It wasn’t much, but it was all the Hogs needed to get the win.

For the game, Arkansas gained 454 yards, 221 through the air and 233 on the ground. Running back Rashod Dubinion got the start and was the Razorbacks’ leading rusher with 112 yards on 15 carries.

Ill-timed penalties plagued the Hogs several times in the game, the biggest was a holding penalty wiped out a kickoff return for a touchdown on the opening kick. A roughing the passer call took away an interception late in the third quarter; Arkansas committed eight penalties for 78 yards throughout the game.

The Arkansas defense had another strong performance and held the Bulldogs to just 229 yards in the game, 190 through the air and 39 on the ground. They did give up two touchdowns, but it’s worth noting a muffed punt by Isaiah Sategna put Louisiana Tech in plus territory, which led to the first touchdown. The second touchdown came with just under six minutes to go, a 20-yard pass to wide receiver Jimmy Holliday on 3rd and 17.

The win will send the Razorbacks to a bowl game for the fourth time in the last five seasons, and they will turn their sights to a rivalry matchup with Missouri next Friday. Check out some of the highlights from the game below…

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Arkansas

What TV channel is Arkansas vs Louisiana Tech football on today? Live stream, spread, game odds

Published

14 hours ago

November 23, 2024

Press Room

What TV channel is Arkansas vs Louisiana Tech football on today? Live stream, spread, game odds

In the Afternoon slate, the Arkansas Razorbacks host the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs in Week 13 nonconference action. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. PT/4 p.m. ET on Saturday, November 23 with a live TV broadcast only on ESPN Plus.

• WATCH: Razorback vs. Bulldogs football is streaming live only on ESPN+

This game is a must-win for both teams if either wants to gain bowl eligibility. Arkansas is 5-5, with No. 23 Missouri remaining on its schedule. Louisana Tech is 4-6, with 1-9 Kennesaw State left to play.

What TV channel is Arkansas vs. LA Tech football on today?

When: Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. PT/4 p.m. ET (3 p.m. CT) on Saturday, November 23

Where: Razorback Stadium | Fayetteville, AR

TV channel: SEC Network Plus on ESPN+ (Not available on traditional broadcast TV, only streaming on ESPN’s live sports streaming platform. Here’s a look at how you can watch ESPN+ live on your TV.)

Watch live stream online: You can watch a live stream of this game for less than $11 on ESPN+ (It’s just $10.99/month or $109.99/full year subscription, and you can cancel anytime.)

What TV channel is SEC Network Plus on?

SEC Network Plus or SECN+ is not a TV channel. It is basically it’s on division within ESPN Plus for SEC games that are not airing on TV, but are SEC games airing exclusively on the ESPN+ streaming platform.

What does SEC Network Plus cost? What does an SECN+ subscription include? SEC Network Plus is a part of ESPN Plus, so as long as you are signed up for ESPN Plus, you will see every SECN+ game available to stream on the watch ESPN app when you sign in or sign up for the ESPN+ service. ESPN+ costs just $10.99/month and you can cancel anytime.

Arkansas vs. Louisiana Tech spread, latest betting odds

Moneyline: ARK -2500 | LT +1100

Spread: ARK -23.5 | LT +23.5

Over/Under: 48.5

Get promo codes, signup deals and free bets from our Oregon Betting News home page.

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Arkansas

Steals, slams winning combo for Hoop Hogs against Little Rock

Published

22 hours ago

November 23, 2024

Press Room

Steals, slams winning combo for Hoop Hogs against Little Rock

Behind a fully-torqued defensive effort, the No. 20 Arkansas Razorbacks (4-1) claimed victory 79-67 over the Little Rock Trojans inside Bud Walton Arena on Friday night in Fayetteville.

Arkansas’ intensity was evident at the get-go, as head coach John Calipari’s club ripped off five steals on Little Rock’s first five possessions, good enough to hand the Hoop Hogs a quick 11-0 advantage.

That pressure never relented in the first half, as the Razorbacks had eight steals and nine forced turnovers at the under-8 mark, and 10 steals and 11 forced turnovers by halftime.

“That first five or six minutes of the game we were a deer in headlights,” Little Rock head coach Darrell Walker, a former Razorback, said postgame. “We were terrified for no reason. We turned the ball over. Now, they got 19 turnovers. We turned the ball over 19 times and they got 28 points off of that. I told my team before the game, ‘We cannot have a lot of turnovers. If you do, this team is really good in the open court. You put them in half court you’re going to have a chance to get in the game.’”

Leading the way for most hands in the cookie jar was forward Adou Thiero (six steals), though five Razorbacks recorded at least one steal and four Hogs totaled 2+ steals.

“The biggest plays were effort plays,” Calipari said of Thiero. “Those were the biggest plays he made. He had six steals — all effort steals. Just he out-worked the other guy to get the ball.”

As a result of the defensive ferocity, Arkansas pushed the pace in transition to the tune of 22 fastbreak points, 28 points off turnovers and five slams through both halves.

“From watching all the film of all the games they’ve played, I knew this was going to be an off-the-dribble game,” Walker said. “And when they shoot the ball well they can become dangerous. But they really an off-the-dribble team and a transition team right now. I’m sure Cal is still trying to figure things out. This is early in the season, just like I’m trying to figure things out with my basketball team. He’s got some key guys hurt.”

One can’t mention Arkansas’ up-and-down court explosion without further crediting Thiero, who racked up a team-high 23 points, a team-high eight rebounds, two blocks and pulled off an immaculate left-handed windmill transition dunk.

“There was a will to win,” Calipari said. “I don’t care who it’s against. When a game gets like that, that stuff was on us, and Adou making that play on the offensive rebound, again, he’s standing out how he’s playing. He’s getting it done.”

Up next, Arkansas will close its home-stand with a matchup against Maryland-Eastern Shore on Monday. That game is set to tip-off at 7 p.m. CT and will stream on SEC Network+.

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