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Crowell: Arkansas lawmakers working to curb insurance spikes put on schools – Daily News in Arkadelphia, Arkansas

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Crowell: Arkansas lawmakers working to curb insurance spikes put on schools – Daily News in Arkadelphia, Arkansas


From SEN. STEVE CROWELL

The legislature has been working on a long-term, sustainable solution to the spike in property insurance costs of Arkansas schools.

A consultant hired last year will submit his report in March. The legislature will meet in fiscal session in April.

Schools are experiencing the same dramatic increases in property insurance that homeowners are going through. For example, last year legislators learned that premiums went up 114 percent, or $21 million, for 170 school districts in a program managed by the Arkansas School Boards Association.

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Another 68 schools in a program managed by the state Insurance Department saw rates go up by $15 million, or 154 percent.

The Bentonville School District, which purchases property insurance through the open market, saw an increase of about $393,000, which amounts to a 50 percent increase in premiums.

After hearing about the increases, legislators and the governor agreed to provide almost $11 million to partially offset the cost to schools.

However, that was a one-time fix to a problem that has been getting worse, so the legislature also voted to contract with a consultant to recommend long-term solutions.

During a recent meeting of the Legislative Council’s Executive Committee, the consultant told lawmakers that the increase in insurance costs was “not going to be an inexpensive problem to fix.”

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One proposal would be to increase retention, they suggested. That is very similar to an individual holding down the costs of an insurance policy by choosing a higher deductible.

The consultant said that if schools agreed to a retention of $25,000, it would go a long way toward holding down costs.

Greater retention would allow schools to afford higher limits on coverage. Some schools may want to increase the limits of their coverage because of recent inflation driving up the cost of construction.

Also, to be eligible to participate in a state insurance partnership and qualify for the advantages of being in a larger risk pool, school districts must be insured for 100 percent of replacement costs.

The consultants said they would probably recommend that the Arkansas Insurance Department set up a “captive” company to provide coverage for schools. It would operate like a state-owned insurance company, and would fall under existing law that is 26 pages long in the statutes. There would be no ambiguity and no need to change existing state insurance regulations.

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Currently, schools have insurance under trust companies, which are regulated under three pages in the law books. The consultants said they prefer property insurance coverage through captives, rather than trusts, because they are more highly regulated.

The combination of factors driving up insurance prices have created “a pretty big problem,” and the current insurance plan for Arkansas schools is not sustainable, they said.

Their final recommendations will be for “building something that is self-sustaining,” they said, adding that they would recommend long-term solutions rather than ideas that would merely patch potholes.

It is possible that they recommend combining the two programs into one plan operated by the state Insurance Department.

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Washington isn’t watching Arkansas? Pete Buttigieg says it should be.

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Washington isn’t watching Arkansas? Pete Buttigieg says it should be.


What happens in Arkansas doesn’t always stay in Arkansas.

That was the message Friday night as former U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg traveled to Little Rock to endorse Democratic congressional candidate Chris Jones, arguing the race for Arkansas’ 2nd Congressional District may be drawing more attention than many political observers realize.

Speaking to supporters at the Dreamland Ballroom, Buttigieg framed the contest as a choice between Washington politics and kitchen-table concerns.

“Now is a chance to really show what it looks like to have a leader who is not focused on doing well by the most powerful and wealthy interests in Washington, but by the kinds of people who actually live here in the second district,” Buttigieg said. “That’s what I’ve seen Chris Jones doing day in, day out.”

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For Jones, the focus was clear: affordability.

The Democratic challenger said Arkansans are feeling the strain of rising prices everywhere they turn, from housing and health care to everyday necessities like gasoline and groceries.

“Our campaign is about affordability and accountability for all,” Jones said. “People are concerned about the price of everything from big stuff, housing and health care, to small stuff, gas and grocery.”

Jones also criticized Republican Congressman French Hill, arguing voters are frustrated not only by rising costs but by a political climate that has become increasingly divisive.

“We’ve been told to be divided, and people are saying, look, I’m tired of that, I’m exhausted by that, and they really want to come together as a community and come together in unity,” Jones said.

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Buttigieg said conversations he had with voters throughout the day reinforced the campaign’s message.

“I talked to a lot of folks from the Little Rock area today, heard about how they are hurting with the cost of gas, cost of groceries, cost of housing,” he said.

While Arkansas’ 2nd District has long been considered Republican territory, Buttigieg suggested the race could carry significance beyond the state’s borders.

“This is a race that maybe some national commentators are sleeping on that could absolutely be one of the pivotal ones for Congress this year,” he said.

The election remains months away, with voters set to decide the race on Nov. 3. Democrats are betting economic concerns can reshape the political conversation in the district, while Republicans look to hold onto a seat they have controlled for years.

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For now, both parties appear to agree on one thing: more eyes may be watching Arkansas than usual.



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Arkansas Lottery Powerball, Cash 3 winning numbers for June 20, 2026

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

Here’s a look at Saturday, June 20, 2026 results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from June 20 drawing

16-20-44-48-50, Powerball: 15, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

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Winning Cash 3 numbers from June 20 drawing

Midday: 3-6-2

Evening: 7-6-6

Check Cash 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash 4 numbers from June 20 drawing

Midday: 8-9-5-3

Evening: 8-0-6-0

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Check Cash 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Natural State Jackpot numbers from June 20 drawing

01-16-20-36-39

Check Natural State Jackpot payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning LOTTO numbers from June 20 drawing

02-14-18-20-23-32, Bonus: 13

Check LOTTO payouts and previous drawings here.

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Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from June 20 drawing

01-10-16-30-31, Bonus: 04

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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Joshua Harris tackles “American Ninja Warrior” and Arkansas health problems

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Joshua Harris tackles “American Ninja Warrior” and Arkansas health problems


Most people can barely conquer the monkey bars at a playground, but Joshua Harris is out here tackling American Ninja Warrior obstacles and using that spotlight to help Arkansans eat healthier.

Harris recently competed on American Ninja Warrior for the second time, calling it “an incredible experience” and saying it’s fun to be part of a national show while taking on the obstacles.

Away from the course, Harris runs a nonprofit called Well Fed, which operates across Arkansas and provides healthy food for people struggling with diet-related illnesses. He said the goal is to improve health outcomes by helping people access healthier options.

“Well, Arkansas has a lot of bad statistics when it comes to health, and we need to find ways to help change those health outcomes,” Harris said. He added that healthy food, including fruits and vegetables, can help people dealing with diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and that the mission fits with his own lifestyle of training, exercise and staying healthy.

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Harris said his Ninja Warrior training and his nonprofit work connect in more ways than one. He described the Ninja Warrior community as full of like-minded people, and said the show embraced the story behind his work on food access in Arkansas.

He also said Well Fed runs food-as-medicine programs across Arkansas, working with health care to bring fruits and vegetables to people who need them. Harris said the aim is to make a measurable difference, including the possibility of seeing “type two diabetes reversed.”

As for what it’s like competing on TV, Harris said many viewers don’t realize the show is filmed overnight.

“When I’m doing Ninja Warrior on the TV show, a lot of people don’t realize that’s filmed at night, so it’s like three in the morning,” Harris said. He said he focuses on staying awake and locked in, with plenty of distractions from crowds and bright lights, but called the crew and community “amazing.”

Harris said his episode is coming up soon and he hopes people will watch and cheer him on.

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And he’s not slowing down after that. Harris said he plans to keep training and will head to Ireland in August for the OCR (obstacle course racing) world championship, where he’ll represent Team USA.



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