Arkansas
Cracking down on crime: Arkansas police, lawmakers team up in effort to clean up streets, reduce crime
CRITTENDEN COUNTY, Ark. (WMC) – A major crackdown on crime is underway in Eastern Arkansas. State Police and prosecutors are teaming up with local law enforcement to get the bad guys off the street and in jail.
A former criminal defense attorney elected as the top prosecutor for Clay, Craighead, Crittenden, Greene, Mississippi, and Poinsett Counties told Action News 5 that her constituents asked her to get tough with criminals. Despite limited resources and manpower, she and her team are making good on a campaign promise to protect the citizenry.
“I hope it sends the message: don’t come here because we’re ready to go,” said Sonia F. Hagood, Prosecuting Attorney for Arkansas’ Second Judicial District.
Hagood recently announced her office won four First Degree Murder convictions in one day.
“I want those people who want to commit crimes in my district,” said Hagood, “to know that if I prep that case for trial, you’re not getting a plea deal on the last day. It’s going to trial, and the community is going to decide what your punishment is.”
On Friday, January 12, a Mississippi County jury found three Blytheville residents guilty of killing Javion Sims in a gun battle where more than 75 rounds were fired in a residential area on a sunny afternoon in April of 2021.
Joel Williams was sentenced to 40 years in prison. Willavontae Westmorland and Tyree Johnson each received a sentence of 35 years.
In Crittenden County, a jury found Jotavion Ross guilty of killing 21-year-old Samuel Johnson in December 2022, shooting him three times in front of his West Memphis home. Ross received a sentence of 41 years in prison.
Hagood praised the detective work done by the West Memphis Police Department in cracking the case. WMPD Sgt. Matthew Jarrett said criminal convictions like Ross’ will help officers solve more cases in the future.
“That will make us work harder,” Sgt. Jarrett told Action News 5, “because we know prosecutors are doing something, and this also gets a message out to the community that something is happening to the bad guys, don’t be afraid to come forward. Don’t be a silent victim.”
West Memphis Mayor Marco McClendon, in a statement provided to Action News 5 said:
This week, Arkansas State Police saturated Crittenden County, along with West Memphis Police and Marion Police.
In eight hours, ASP said the East Arkansas Operation resulted in the arrests of 245 people, including 75 criminal arrests and 13 DWI arrests.
ASP said they also seized eight firearms and narcotics.
Up next for Attorney Hagood is getting Crittenden and Mississippi Counties designated high-drug trafficking areas to secure more federal funding.
“Memphis is, and all along the border of my district is,” she said, “designated high drug trafficking areas. With that comes a lot of gun violence, gang violence, and things like that, but for whatever reason we got left out. But in Crittenden and Mississippi Counties, there is a different kind of criminal. They’re very smart and they know the system.”
Hagood said police and prosecutors are also working with other agencies, leveraging community resources, to make sure kids stay in school, off the street, and away from a life of crime. She said they’re taking a multilevel approach to addressing what ails the community.
A critical piece of that is letting criminals know there are repercussions if they get caught.
“They’re going to pay the consequences for it,” said Sgt. Jarrett, “if you do the crime, you’re going to have to do the crime. With these convictions, and hopefully, many more to come, it will continue to send that message.”
Arkansas State Police has provided extensive information on the crime operation which can be found on their website.
The office of Prosecuting Attorney Hagood also released the following:
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SAN JOSE, Calif. — A humbling loss to Arizona means Darius Acuff Jr.’s career with Arkansas basketball is likely over.
Acuff is projected to be a top-10 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. He scored a game-high 28 points as the No. 4 Razorbacks (28-9) fell to the No. 1 Wildcats (35-2) 109-88 in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday, March 26.
After the loss, John Calipari reflected on Acuff’s historic season. The Hall of Fame coach will remember the Detroit native’s fierce spirit while hunting victories.
“(Acuff) was the ultimate competitor. He had a will to win and would make baskets because he wasn’t afraid to miss late in games,” Calipari said. “He and Meleek (Thomas) and the other guys, they set the stage for growth. You’re going to have an opportunity to get better, but it’s hard. The league is hard. You’ve got to be a gym rat if you really want to do this. Those guys proved it. I had a ball coaching them.”
Acuff became just the third person to win the SEC Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year awards handed out by both the coaches and media, joining Anthony Davis (2012) and Brandon Miller (2023). He became the league’s first player since Pete Maravich to lead the SEC in both scoring and assists.
His final season-long stats were 23.5 points and 6.4 assists per game. He shot 48.4% from the field and 44% on 3-pointers.
Acuff was short on words in his final press conference with the Hogs, but he didn’t bring up his individual accolades when asked what he will remember the most from a dynamic collegiate season.
“Brotherhood, for sure,” Acuff said. “With the team, great support from the fans. I don’t know, a lot of good stuff. It was a great year, for sure.”
Arkansas fans won’t soon forget his dominance.
Jackson Fuller covers Arkansas football, basketball and baseball for the Southwest Times Record, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at jfuller@usatodayco.com or follow him @jacksonfuller16 on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Arkansas
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Darius Acuff Jr. and the fourth-seeded Arkansas Razorbacks will face Brayden Burries and the top-seeded Arizona Wildcats as the 2026 NCAA men’s basketball tournament continues with the Sweet 16 Thursday in San Jose, California.
The Razorbacks (28-8) reached the West Region semifinals by beating Hawaii and High Point. Meanwhile, the Wildcats (34-2) beat Long Island and Utah State.
Here’s how to watch the Razorbacks-Wildcats game, including time, TV schedule and streaming information:
Watch March Madness live with Sling TV
What time is Arkansas vs Arizona today? When is NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 game today?
- Date: Thursday, March 26
- Start time: 8:45 p.m. CT
- Where: SAP Center in San Jose, California
What channel is Arkansas vs Arizona on today? How to watch, stream NCAA Tournament Sweet 16
- TV: TBS/truTV
- How to watch online: Sling (free trial)
Arkansas vs Arizona betting odds for March Madness Sweet 16 game
Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Thursday, March 26:
- Moneyline: ARI -375 | ARK +290
- Spread: Arizona (-8.5)
- Over/under: 165.5
All times CT
All times CT
Print your own March Madness bracket for 2026 NCAA men’s basketball tournament
The Arkansas Razorbacks parlayed an SEC Tournament Championship into two straight wins to start their NCAA Tournament run, getting past Hawaii and High Point in impressive fashion. Now, they’ll face their toughest challenge yet, a Sweet 16 showdown with the 1-seed Arizona Wildcats.
Arizona cruised past both Long Island University and Utah State in the first two rounds, and still has just two losses on its record all season. As you’d expect, they’re favored in this SEC vs. Big 12 showdown. Let’s take a look.
Arkansas vs. Arizona Odds, Spread, and Total
Odds via Caesars Sportsbook
Spread
- Arkansas +7.5 (-110)
- Arizona -7.5 (-110)
Moneyline
- Arkansas +278
- Arizona -355
Total
- OVER 166.5 (-110)
- UNDER 166.5 (-110)
Arkansas vs. Arizona How to Watch
- Date: Thursday, March 6
- Game Time: 9:45 pm ET
- Venue: SAP Center at San Jose
- How to Watch (TV): CBS
- Arkansas Record: 28-8
- Arizona Record: 34-2
Arkansas vs. Arizona Betting Trends
- The OVER is 9-2 in Arkansas’ last 11 games
- The OVER is 5-1 in Arkansas’ last six games vs. Big 12 opponents
- Arkansas is 12-5 ATS in its last 17 games as an underdog
- Arizona is 4-1 ATS in its last five games
- The OVER is 4-2 in Arizona’s last six games
- Arizona is 5-1 ATS in its last six games vs. SEC opponents
Arkansas vs. Arizona Best Prop Bet
- Brayden Burries OVER 17.5 Points (-106) via FanDuel
Brayden Burries has a chance to have a phenomenal performance on Thursday night. Arkansas may be a strong offensive team, but its defense leaves a lot to be desired. They rank 200th in the country in defensive efficiency and are allowing 80.3 points per game this season, which ranks 325th. If Burries brings his best stuff, the Razorbacks are going to be in trouble.
Arkansas vs. Arizona Prediction and Pick
Let’s try our best not to overreact to Arkansas being in the Sweet 16. They had a relatively easy path to win the SEC Championship, squeaking by both Oklahoma and Ole Miss by just three points before beating Vanderbilt in the final, completely avoiding the Florida Gators. Then, in the NCAA Tournament, they had the easiest path to the Sweet 16, getting to face a 13-seed and a 12-seed in the first two rounds.
The Arizona Wildcats are no joke and will be by far the Razorbacks’ biggest challenge. There’s a case to be made that Arizona is the best team in the country, and they have the interior defense to completely shut down the Arkansas offense. The Razorbacks rank 50th in the country in two-point shot rate. Now, they have to face an Arizona defense that ranks second in the country in opponent two-point field goal percentage, keeping teams to shooting just 43.7% from two-point range.
Arizona also mainly shoots two-point shots, ranking third in two-point shot rate, and now they get to face an Arkansas team that ranks 278th in opponent two-point field goal percentage, allowing teams to shoot 54% from two-point range.
This is a nightmare matchup for Arkansas.
Pick: Arizona -7.5 (-110)
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