Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has appointed Sydney McKenzie, wife of Rep. Britt McKenzie, R-Rogers, to the Arkansas State Library Board.

She replaces Donnette Smith, whose term expired last year. McKenzie’s term will expire Oct. 18, 2031.

McKenzie described the appointment as a “great honor.”

“As a mother of four young children and a passionate supporter and frequent patron of our local libraries, I am grateful for this opportunity to advance access to safe learning environments and promote greater literacy for children across our state,” she said in a statement. “My goal is to enhance the local impact of the communities our libraries serve, ensuring that every Arkansan can experience the unique value libraries provide in shaping informed and engaged citizens.”

Sam Dubke, spokesman for the governor’s office, did not immediately provide a comment on the appointment.

Seven members comprise the State Library Board and are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Arkansas Senate. It was established by Act 489 of 1979, according to the Arkansas State Library website.

A single member is appointed from each of the state’s four congressional districts, while three members are selected from the state at large; no more than two members can come from any individual district.

Among the Arkansas State Library’s responsibilities is the administration of state and federal funds to be appropriated for libraries and library development, according to its website. It also gives library and information resources to both state government and its citizenry, seeks to improve access to libraries and other information resources, and supports public libraries.

Library funding, as well as children’s access to certain materials in libraries, has come under increased scrutiny in recent years across the state and the country and has been the source of intense clashes in recent State Library Board meetings. Many leaders who have expressed support preventing for minors from accessing materials containing sexual content at libraries have described the issue as a matter of safety.

A federal judge recently struck down as unconstitutional two provisions of Act 372 of 2023 that sought to criminalize the furnishing of obscene materials to minors at public libraries and bookstores. Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin has said he will appeal the ruling. Britt McKenzie was one of 56 lawmakers in the House of Representatives who voted in favor of the measure as it made its way through the Legislature.

Former state Sen. Jason Rapert, who Sanders appointed to the board in 2023, has sought repeatedly to withhold taxpayer money from libraries that do not remove works containing sexual content from places where they can be accessed by minors. The rest of the board has voted him down each time, and in November he urged the state Legislature to abolish the board.

The member whose term will expire next is Jo Ann Campbell; her term ends Oct. 18.

The next State Library Board meeting is scheduled for Feb. 14.

Tonnage shipped on the Arkansas River in 2024 totaled 12.446 million tons, up 1.95% compared with 2023 tonnage. The increase was driven by a 13% increase in sand, gravel, rock shipments, and 8% and 41% gains, respectively, in wheat and soybean shipments.

December tonnage was 1.01 million tons, below the 1.032 million tons in December 2023, according to a report from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

However, river activity surged in the fourth quarter with shipments in the final three months carrying 3.387 million tons, up 15.8% compared with the same period in 2023.

Inbound shipments – those coming from off the river system – totaled 3.793 million tons during 2024, down 16% compared with 2023. Outbound shipments totaled 4.769 million tons, up 134% compared with 2023. Internal shipments – those sent between port operations on the river – totaled 3.884 million tons, up 10%.

Following are the top five shipment categories by tonnage in 2024, with the percentage change from 2023.
• Sand, gravel, rock: 4.591 million tons (up 13%)
• Chemical fertilizer: 2.438 million tons (down 9%)
• Minerals and building products: 1.06 million tons (down 0.12%)
• Iron and Steel: 987,223 tons (down 20%)
• Wheat: 889,443 tons (up 8%)

“Tonnage for Five Rivers Distribution saw an 8% increase in 2024. Tonnage remains strong with favorable river conditions and our rail volumes have also increased,” said Marty Shell, owner of Van Buren-based Five Rivers Distribution, which manages port operations in Van Buren and the Port of Fort Smith. “Inbound and outbound trucks into the facilities are also heavy with the winter months of supplying the animal agriculture business. We foresee a strong 2025, but the uncertainty of tariffs still loom for the upcoming years and we will have to pivot to those changes.”

Bryan Day, executive director of the Port of Little Rock, said the port posted a 27% decrease in barge tonnage in 2024 compared with 2023. Tonnage from rail at the port was up 26%. He said the state’s largest port also saw a fourth quarter surge, working 87 barges compared with 58 in the same period of 2023. Day estimates barge and rail tonnage at the port will increase in 2025, and he also believes river traffic will continue to increase.

“Our estimation for 2025 is that river tonnage will increase based on preliminary conversations with some of our industries,” Day noted.

TONNAGE HISTORY, RIVER INFO
Tonnage shipped on the river in 2023 totaled 12.208 million, up 10.9% compared with 11.011 million tons in 2022. Shipments of sand, gravel, rock and chemical fertilizers helped drive the 2023 gains.

Inbound shipments – those coming from off the river system – totaled 4.491 million tons during 2023, up 30% compared with 2022. Outbound shipments totaled 4.175 million tons, up 6% compared with 2022. Internal shipments – those sent between port operations on the river – totaled 3.542 million tons, down 1% compared with 2022.

The Arkansas River system – McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (MKARNS) – is 445 miles long and stretches from the confluence of the Mississippi River to the Port of Catoosa near Tulsa, Okla. The controlled waterway has 18 locks and dams, with 13 in Arkansas and five in Oklahoma. The river also has five commercial ports: Pine Bluff, Little Rock, Fort Smith, Muskogee, Okla., and the Tulsa Port of Catoosa in Oklahoma.

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Susie Maynard was named Arkansas Elementary Art Teacher of the Year for 2023-24, but the White Hall School District instructor is quick to give credit to her coworkers.

“The only thing that sets me apart is that I have the best team,” Maynard said Tuesday. “That’s what makes me so good is the team. We have the best art team.”

The team puts together a district-wide art show every year at the White Hall Community Center featuring drawings, paintings, sculptures and more.

“We try to include every avenue of art,” Maynard said.

Maynard was acknowledged for her award at a WHSD board meeting. Arkansas Art Educators presented the honor to Maynard during the fall semester.

Maynard teaches kindergarten through fifth grades at Moody and Hardin elementaries. She has taught in the WHSD for at least 15 years and also spent a year in the Little Rock School District.

She values giving students a chance to problem-solve and think for themselves.

“I don’t feel like they have enough of that, and art is such a great avenue for them to make their own decisions, to make their mistakes and figure out, how do I solve this mistake?” she said. “How do I turn it into something really cool?”

Before approaching those questions, students do learn the basics from Maynard.

“We teach how to use the paintbrush, how to hold your pencil, how to draw different shapes and how to put it together, and then the student picks it up and carries it from there,” she said.

Other teachers nominated Maynard for the award and the AAE board decided on the winner, she said. Despite such a prestigious honor, she remains humble.

“I don’t think I stand out,” Maynard started, “but I …”

“Yes, she does,” Debbie Jones interjected. Jones is the assistant superintendent for curriculum. “There is creativity that she brings to the table, and it’s also opportunity for students to explore within their art.”

Maynard remarked: “She explains that best.”