FAYETTEVILLE — A lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of a state law banning exit polling within 100 feet of a polling site still has issues both sides want resolved, according to court filings.

Bryan Norris initially sought a preliminary injunction against Act 728 of 2021 that would have allowed his campaign to contract for exit polling during the March primary election. U.S. District Judge Timothy L. Brooks denied the motion Feb. 27, stating the state law being challenged is probably constitutional.

A World War II veteran who worked for the City of Tulsa was finally laid to rest Monday after his remains went unidentified for nearly 80 years.

Floyd Harper, 22, was one of several City of Tulsa workers killed when a city barge overturned on the Arkansas River on Feb. 10, 1949. His remains were not identified at the time, and his family spent decades without answers.

His daughter, Linda Schrader, never got the chance to know him. She was two months old when he died.

“He died in the Arkansas River when I was exactly two months old,” Schrader said. “So I knew absolutely nothing about any of this wonderful stuff.”

Harper’s wife and family were left guessing what happened to him. According to Schrader, her mother never stopped looking.

“They said that she used to walk the banks of the Arkansas River for years, trying to find something of him where he died,” Schrader said.

Eventually, Schrader’s mother remarried, and the family began to accept they’d never get a chance to say goodbye. That changed last summer.

Tulsa Police Homicide Detective Brandon Watkins looked into human remains the department had discovered along the river in 1985. Using genealogy research, he tracked down Schrader, who now lives in Boise, Idaho. He flew out himself to administer a DNA test.

It was a match.

“We wanted to know who those human remains belong to. That’s important,” Watkins said. “Families deserve to have this moment.”

For Schrader, the confirmation set off a whirlwind. She discovered she had 29 first cousins she never knew, and attended a family reunion.

“I was just blown away with finding out I had 29 first cousins. And all of this going on. It’s just — it’s been insane,” she said.

For Watkins, solving the case stands as a career milestone.

“It’s one of the most rewarding things I think I’ve done in my career, is be part of this,” he said. “And I’m real happy for his family.”

Monday, after a gun salute and 77 years of wondering, Harper was finally laid to rest alongside other family members. Schrader said she’s grateful she can spend the rest of her life knowing how her father’s story ends.

“I’m just so happy he gets to be with his momma now,” she said.

Timeline: Floyd Harper’s 77-year journey home

Feb. 10, 1949 — Floyd Harper, a WWII veteran and City of Tulsa worker, dies when a city barge overturns on the Arkansas River. He is 22 years old. His daughter Linda is two months old.

1949–1985 — Harper’s family, including his wife, searches for answers. His remains are never found. Linda’s mother remarries; the family moves.

1985 — Human remains are discovered along the Arkansas River. Tulsa Police preserve them but are unable to make an identification at the time.

Summer 2025 — TPD Homicide Detective Brandon Watkins reopens the case, conducts genealogy research, and locates Linda Schrader in Idaho. He flies out personally to collect a DNA sample.

Mid-2025 — DNA results confirm the remains belong to Floyd Harper.

April 27, 2026 — Floyd Harper is laid to rest alongside family members in Skiatook, 77 years after his death. An honor guard renders a gun salute.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark.– Arkansas senior LHP Robyn Herron and senior OF Reagan Johnson were selected as provisional picks in the 2026 AUSL College Draft and have been named to the league’s reserve athlete pool, the organization announced Sunday evening.

AUSL provisional picks in the 2026 College Draft were selected to allow teams to secure the draft picks’ rights and give teams added flexibility. The AUSL Reserve Pool is an opportunity for players to potentially be called up, compete, and earn full-time roster spots. For example, Reserve Pool athletes will be utilized at the start of the season when select AUSL players compete overseas in the Japan Diamond League.

Herron is among the all-time Arkansas greats in the circle with 111 career appearances, 73 starts, 52 wins and a 2.18 ERA while registering 554 strikeouts and limiting opposing hitters to a program-record .180 batting average. She has also registered 16 10+ strikeout games in her Arkansas career, which is tied for Mary Haff (2018-2022) as the most in program history. This season, Herron is 14-4 with a 1.99 ERA and 144 strikeouts in 91.1 innings pitched. She currently ranks among the top pitchers nationally in fewest hits allowed per seven innings (14th, 4.45), saves (15th, 4), and strikeouts per seven innings (5th, 11.0).

Johnson is the all-time Arkansas career hits leader with 272, while her 68 career stolen bases are the third-most in program history. She has posted a .331 batting average this season with 48 hits, four doubles, a triple, and 14 RBI while drawing 27 walks, scoring 50 runs, and stealing 18 bases. Defensively, Johnson is among the best center fielders the game has seen during her four years on The Hill with a .988 career fielding percentage. She is on a 122-game errorless streak dating back to April 6, 2024, which is the longest errorless streak by an Arkansas outfielder on record (since at least 2001).

In addition to Herron and Johnson’s provisional selections, Dakota Kennedy previously received an AUSL Golden Ticket on April 6. The 2026 AUSL College Draft is set for Monday, May 4, at 6 p.m. on ESPN2.

No. 6/9 Arkansas (39-9, 13-8 SEC) will wrap up the regular season with a three-game series at Texas (April 30-May 2). Thursday’s contest will be at 6 p.m. on the SEC Network, while Friday and Saturday’s first pitch times are set for 2 p.m. and noon on SEC Network+.

For schedule updates and other news, go to ArkansasRazorbacks.com, or follow @RazorbackSB on X, Instagram and Facebook.