Arkansas

Arkansas state senator requests assistance for poultry farmers impacted by company closure – Arkansas Advocate

Published

12 months ago

December 8, 2023

Arkansas state senator requests assistance for poultry farmers impacted by company closure – Arkansas Advocate

The euthanization of thousands of chickens after the sudden closure of a poultry company prompted an Arkansas state senator to request intervention from the governor Friday.

Sen. Bryan King, R-Green Forest, sent a letter to Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders expressing his concern over Cooks Venture’s closure and “possible euthanization of more than 1 million chickens.”

“This matter significantly affects poultry growers, involves serious animal welfare and disease concern, and creates environmental issues,” King wrote. “The impact of the volume of decaying birds to be disposed of is an economic nightmare, and it should not be the burden of growers.”

In addition to the environmental concerns, Dustin Maybee, a grower in Green Forest, is worried about the loss of income. Maybee said he’ll “probably lose the farm” he bought in June after signing a three-year contract with Cooks Venture.

Maybee said he received a letter Nov. 20 notifying him that Cooks Venture was experiencing financial difficulty and that if the company wasn’t sold, it would close between Nov. 20 and Nov. 30.

“If this happens, we are committed to winding down the company responsibly,” Executive Vice President Blake Evans wrote. “All outstanding fees for services already rendered will be paid as part of this process.”

The company didn’t respond to an email Friday requesting comment.

Maybee said he has not been paid and still has about 70,000 chickens that he was told the Arkansas Department of Agriculture will euthanize on Monday.

Initially, Cooks Venture said it would collect Maybee’s birds and ship them. Last Monday, the company notified Maybee his birds would be killed and he would be responsible for composting or burying the remains.

“They’re telling us that they don’t have no money to feed ‘em, catch ‘em, truck ‘em, process ‘em, anything,” Maybee said.

The thought of “420,000 pounds of rotten bird” on his farm prompted Maybee to make some calls, and he attended a meeting in Green Forest Thursday with King and Patrick Fisk, Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Division Director.

The Madison County Record reported about 50 former Cook Venture growers attended yesterday’s meeting where Fisk said he was responsible for deciding to kill the chickens. While there’s no statute behind the decision, Fisk said he acted in the best interest of the chickens, which faced starvation after the closure, according to the Madison County Record.

“What was disappointing to me out of the meeting, was that Mr. Fisk keeps saying, ‘Well I just kept trying to assist this company,’” King told the Advocate Friday. “Well, that’s not your role. Your role is to assist the people of Arkansas.”

The Department of Agriculture acknowledged receipt of an email on Friday requesting comment, but did not provide a response.

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Maybee said he received an email from Cooks Venture Thursday that it will dispose of the birds. However, he said they still haven’t removed the dead animals from other growers’ farms and some of those growers have started to compost themselves.

“I’ve stayed away from the farms that have, but they say you can smell it for miles,” he said.

Maybee said that between himself and two other growers, more than 200,000 additional birds will be euthanized.

“If you haven’t cleaned any other farms up yet, then how are you going to clean all that up in a day or two?” he said.

King said he’s been part of the chicken growing industry for three decades. King didn’t work for Cooks Venture and said he first learned about the state’s role in the situation when a grower contacted him Monday night.

“[The growers] don’t have the capabilities or the land or anything to have disposal methods to be able to take care of this,” King said.

In his letter to the governor, King pointed to former Gov. Asa Hutchinson allocating $20 million in 2019 to extinguish a stump dump fire in Bella Vista as precedent for declaring an emergency.

“We need to provide full compensation to the growers, feed suppliers, and any entity related to helping this situation,” King wrote. “The company is under financial duress, and at this time, the state needs to assume responsibility. It is my hope the state can recoup the cost at a later date.”

The governor’s office did not provide a response Friday.

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Related Topics:Arkansas Department of Agriculture Bryan King Cooks Venture Featured Green Forest Patrick Fisk poultry

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Arkansas

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

Published

4 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

12 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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Arkansas

Arkansas basketball vs Little Rock score today: Live updates, game highlights, how to watch

Published

20 hours ago

November 22, 2024

Press Room

Arkansas basketball vs Little Rock score today: Live updates, game highlights, how to watch

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas basketball will welcome one of the best players in program history back to Bud Walton Arena tonight.

The No. 24 Razorbacks (3-1) will host Little Rock (3-2) Friday. The Trojans are coached by Darrell Walker, who was a consensus All-American for the Razorbacks in 1983 and is a member of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame, the Southwest Conference Hall of Fame and the University of Arkansas Sports Hall of Honor.

The Hogs are in the midst of a four-game homestand and are coming off a 91-72 victory over Pacific Monday. They’ve been stingy through the early portion of the season and rank 10th in the nation in KenPom’s defensive efficiency metric.

This will be just the second meeting between the two Natural State programs. Arkansas won 93-78 in 2021, and the Trojans are coming off a road victory over Tulsa in their most recent contest.

Below are live score updates, highlights and other notes from Arkansas basketball’s fifth game of the season.

Arkansas basketball vs. Little Rock score updates

This section will be updated when the game begins.

What time does Arkansas vs. Little Rock play today?

Date: Friday, Nov. 22
Time: 8 p.m. CT
Location: Fayetteville

What channel is Arkansas vs. Little Rock game on today?

TV channel: SEC Network
Streaming: FUBO (Free Trial), ESPN+

Arkansas vs. Little Rock live stream options

Arkansas vs. Little Rock will be broadcast on SEC Network. The matchup can also be streamed with a subscription to FUBO, which has the option for a free trial, and ESPN+, which includes ESPNU and all other ESPN channels.

Arkansas vs. Little Rock prediction

Arkansas 79, Little Rock 63: This game could follow a familiar theme to earlier home games, with a mid-major squad staying close thanks to 3-pointers, but Arkansas’ talent eventually wearing out the opposition. A blowout is more likely if one of Trevon Brazile or Jonas Aidoo returns to the floor for the Hogs.

Arkansas vs. Little Rock betting odds

Game lines and odds from BetMGM as of Friday morning:

Spread: Arkansas -20.5
Over/under: 143.5
Moneyline: Little Rock +1250

Arkansas basketball schedule

Record: 3-1

(Next five games)

Little Rock, Nov. 22
Maryland Eastern Shore, Nov. 25
Illinois (Kansas City), Nov. 28
at Miami, Dec. 3
UTSA, Dec. 7

Little Rock schedule

Record: 3-2

(Next five games)

at Arkansas, Nov. 22
at Illinois, Nov. 25
Maryland Eastern Shore, Nov. 27
Central Arkansas, Dec. 4
Ouachita Baptist University, Dec. 10

Arkansas basketball news

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