Arkansas

Arkansas TV meteorologist Melinda Mayo retires after nearly four decades on air

Published

2 months ago

April 10, 2026

Arkansas TV meteorologist Melinda Mayo retires after nearly four decades on air

LITTLE ROCK (KATV) — After nearly four decades of early morning alarms and forecasts, longtime Arkansas TV meteorologist Melinda Mayo is retiring, closing a career that made her a familiar face to generations of viewers and a steady voice during dangerous weather.

Before she became a household name, the Pine Bluff native worked behind the scenes as an overnight photographer and producer.

Bob Steel was the first to spot her potential and hired her straight out of college. He said she could do it all. “If you want her to do a story, she could do that. If you wanted her to shoot, she could do that. If you wanted to edit, she could do that. If you wanted her to write, she could do that she was extremely talented. Still is,” Steel said.

That versatility helped her land an on-camera role.

Chief Meteorologist Barry Brandt first met Mayo early in her career when they both worked at another Little Rock TV station. Brandt said, “You could just see she was working her way up through and there was nothing Melinda couldn’t do on the air.”

As she worked as a reporter and anchor, she was also studying meteorology.

In 1996, Mayo joined KATV News. Two years later, she officially became the first female certified broadcast meteorologist in Arkansas.

“I knew right from the beginning that she was going to get it. I just knew it and there was no problem. She just fit right into it,” said Ned Perme, Former KATV Chief Meteorologist.

“She’s gone from this effervescent young college student who is eager to please, to do anything, to a legend,” Steele said.

Brandt called Mayo a trailblazer, pointing to both her on-air skill and her scientific background. “She’s just a trailblazer. Obviously she’s so good on the air, but to have that science background that served her so well and it served Arkansas so well for so many years,” he said.

Viewers relied on Mayo’s calm presence through snowstorms, heat waves and tornadoes.

Steel said her steady approach mattered when it counted most. “She’s probably saved lives in her career, you know, and stayed calm in the storm. I mean, she is, she’s gonna be missed,” he said.

Colleagues also credited Mayo with mentoring others, particularly women entering the business. “She really did hold the hands of new reporters and new anchors along the way and who knows where we’d be if we didn’t have a strong female like Melinda to look up to,” Alyson Courtney, former Daybreak anchor, said.

Mayo also made time for viewers in everyday moments. “We’d be out in the field if somebody came up to her. She took time out to talk to him and speak to him. She didn’t run, get in the car and hide like she was, you know, some big superstar,” Marcus McDonald, former KATV Chief Photographer, said.

Mayo’s work also took her beyond the forecast, including interviews and live coverage from major events. She has interviewed Arkansas native Johnny Cash, covered the Clinton Presidential Library grand opening, and reported from the Country Music Awards in Nashville in 2016.

Her Daybreak adventures included trips to the beach, Branson and high school pep rallies across the state.

Chris Kane, former Daybreak anchor, said Mayo was the colleague he could count on for anything. “Whether its jumping off a pontoon boat during Daybreak, going on a rollercoaster at Silver Dollar City, Melinda was always my go to, hey, I need someone to do this with me, will you do it? And she’d always say yes which made it so much more fun,” Kane said.

He also said Mayo set the tone in the studio each morning. “You’re groggy and you’re still trying to wake up… you pour a cup of coffee and you see Melinda Mayo and you knew it was going to be a good day,” Kane said.

“She’s impacted so many people that she doesn’t even know how many people she’s impacted, but we hear it all the time,” Courtney said.

The longest-running on-air morning show host in Arkansas, is now turning off those morning alarms for good, but her legacy will continue to carry on.

Thank you, Melinda!

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Arkansas

Registration opens for Arkansas urban deer hunts

Published

10 hours ago

June 23, 2026

Press Room

Registration opens for Arkansas urban deer hunts

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KAIT) – Registration is open for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s annual urban deer hunt.

This year’s hunts will be held in Cherokee Village, Fairfield Bay, Heber Springs, Helena-West Helena, Horseshoe Bend and Russellville.

The archery-only hunts are designed to offer an “inexpensive and effective method of nuisance deer management,” according to an AGFC news release.

Deer harvested during the urban hunts do not count toward a hunter’s seasonal limit, and there are no limits to the number of deer that can be harvested.

However, the first deer taken must be donated to Arkansas Hunters Feeding the Hungry, which provides ground meat to food pantries across the state.

Hunters must complete a series of additional safety trainings, including a proficiency test, to participate in urban archery hunts.(Arkansas Game and Fish Commission)

Hunters must pass the International Bowhunters Education Program before participating. The program is available at www.agfc.com/education/hunter-education.

Hunters also must attend orientation to learn the specific rules of the hunts and pass a shooting proficiency test.

For more information, visit www.agfc.com/urbanhunt.

To report a typo or correction, please click here.

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Arkansas

Arkansas Lottery Powerball, Cash 3 winning numbers for June 22, 2026

Published

21 hours ago

June 23, 2026

Press Room

The Arkansas Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at Monday, June 22, 2026 results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from June 22 drawing

17-19-21-45-48, Powerball: 13, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash 3 numbers from June 22 drawing

Midday: 8-6-8

Evening: 4-9-7

Check Cash 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash 4 numbers from June 22 drawing

Midday: 4-4-6-9

Evening: 6-4-1-4

Check Cash 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Natural State Jackpot numbers from June 22 drawing

07-17-23-28-32

Check Natural State Jackpot payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from June 22 drawing

07-08-20-24-42, Bonus: 05

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.

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Arkansas

Latest Peppermint Hippo court filing alleges misconduct by Arkansas officials, asks for liquor license reinstatement

Published

1 day ago

June 22, 2026

Press Room

Latest Peppermint Hippo court filing alleges misconduct by Arkansas officials, asks for liquor license reinstatement

Video: Peppermint Hippo appeals liquor license revocation before Alcoholic Beverage Control board

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The latest court filing by a lawyer representing the Peppermint Hippo gentlemen’s club alleges misconduct by an Arkansas agency and its department head.

The filing asks that the club’s liquor license be reinstated pending judicial review of the January 2026 decision to revoke it. It alleges that Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Director Christy Bjornson “tainted the entire administrative proceedings.”

The filing alleges Bjornson had ex parte, or single-sided, conversations with Peter Riberiro about the death of his brother, John Riberiro. John Riberiro was killed in November 2021 after being ejected from the club and climbing a fence alongside Interstate 40, where he was hit by a car.

Peter Riberiro contacted ABC by email in February 2025, calling for the club’s license to be revoked. Bjornson replied to the email personally, and she and ABC Director of Enforcement David Potter then had a series of phone conferences with Peter Riberiro and his attorney through January 2026, ex parte communications since Peppermint Hippo representatives were not included, the filing alleges.

The filing also alleges that Bjornson acted with “extreme bias” in the club’s list of violations, including those that had previously been investigated and found unfounded. Bjornson determined the club was in violation, then looked for evidence substantiating her views, the filing alleges.

The state maintains, in a separate filing, that Bjornson’s communications were not ex parte under Arkansas law because she was acting as an administrator and the final decision was made by the ABC board, not her. Even if she was, the state’s filing continues, the decision to revoke was due to “substantial evidence and was neither arbitrary, capricious, nor an abuse of discretion.”

A hearing about the reinstatement is scheduled for Aug. 3 in Pulaski County Circuit Court.

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