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Harris making smooth transition with Razorbacks

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Harris making smooth transition with Razorbacks


The eighth in a collection that includes newcomers to the Arkansas soccer workforce

After former Joe T. Robinson standout E’Marion Harris formally inked his nationwide letter of intent with Arkansas in December throughout his signing-day ceremony, one of many first issues his highschool soccer coach Todd Eskola disclosed to the big crowd of supporters was how particular he felt his prized recruit was.

A number of months later, the 6-7, 362-pound offensive lineman acquired an opportunity to point out his Razorback teammates simply how distinctive he actually is when he suited up for spring practices.

“Issues have gone fairly good your entire time I’ve been up right here,” mentioned Harris, who’s been on the Arkansas campus since January after enrolling early. “Nicely truly, it’s going nice. Every little thing has gone easy, exercises have been going good.

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“[Coaches] have been getting us proper, getting us prepared for the season.”

For Harris, soccer preparation happened as naturally as respiratory throughout his overly dominant, four-year profession at Robinson, and that hasn’t modified since he’s been with the Razorbacks.

He was provided a scholarship from powerhouse Alabama earlier than he turned a youngster, however that was just the start. Harris was 13 when he performed his first varsity soccer recreation, holding his personal in opposition to a workforce three classifications increased.

Since that preliminary 2018 outing, issues solely acquired higher.

Extra from WholeHogSports: Extra profiles within the Hog Futures collection

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A who’s who of Energy 5 applications, like defending nationwide champion Georgia, Miami, Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Tennessee all vied for Harris, who was a member of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s All-Arkansas Preps workforce in every of his remaining three years with the Senators. However when it was all mentioned and achieved, the consensus 4-star sort out selected the identical college the place his father, Elliott, as soon as starred in the course of the early 2000s.

“They only saved involved with me,” Harris mentioned of the Arkansas teaching employees. “They handled me like household. Plus, they’re getting linemen into the [NFL], and that’s what I’m attempting to do. They imagine in me, and I imagine in them.”

Harris, who additionally famous that Razorbacks followers could be shocked to know the way good he’s at enjoying video video games, did admit that he has skilled just a few believe-it-or-not moments since he’s been in Fayetteville.

After not permitting a sack and grading out at 87% throughout his senior yr, he anticipated his exercises being powerful at Arkansas, which is why he mentally ready himself beforehand. What he did discover nearly instantly was how passionate Razorbacks Coach Sam Pittman actually is.

That, in flip, sort of took him off guard.

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“You know the way folks see Coach Pittman when he’s on TV?” Harris requested. “That’s how he’s in particular person. … He’s intense. That’s one of many issues that’s stood out to me. Like, I knew the exercises have been going to be onerous, weren’t going to be straightforward.

“[Workouts] are simply manner totally different than a highschool exercise. However none of that was stunning, it was what I used to be anticipating. I feel I’ve adjusted fairly properly, although.”

Changes have been instrumental for Harris, who’ll discover himself in uncharted waters with the Razorbacks. Whereas he was normally the most important particular person on the sphere throughout his time with the Senators, he’ll not maintain that distinction whereas enjoying within the SEC. Arkansas, alone, has six others on its roster that stand at the least 6-6 – 4 of whom are offensive linemen.

Nonetheless, Harris doesn’t appear to be phased. His mentality from highschool to school hasn’t modified, both. If something, it’s been reinvigorated by the chance to showcase his skills in probably the greatest, if not one of the best, NCAA Division I conferences within the nation.

“My expectations for myself, proper now, is simply attempting to be one of the best model of myself,” he mentioned. “I need to attempt to get a beginning job, attempt to get on the sphere. However onerous work comes with that, and that’s what I’ve acquired to proceed doing.”

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E’Marion Harris at a look

CLASS Freshman

POSITION Offensive lineman

HEIGHT/WEIGHT 6-7, 362 kilos

HOMETOWN Little Rock

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HIGH SCHOOL Joe T. Robinson

NOTEWORTHY Helped lead Robinson to Class 4A titles in 2019 and 2021. … Began 58 video games throughout his profession with the Senators. … Rated a four-star prospect by ESPN and Rivals. … Recorded 61 tackles, together with 28 for losses, and compelled two fumbles whereas additionally enjoying on the line of defense as a senior. … Held scholarship presents from a number of NCAA Division I colleges, together with Alabama, Georgia, Nebraska, Missouri and Mississippi State.



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Arkansas prison employees fired after ‘Devil in the Ozarks’ escape

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Arkansas prison employees fired after ‘Devil in the Ozarks’ escape





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Arkansas National Guard deploys to Texas for flood rescue efforts

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Arkansas National Guard deploys to Texas for flood rescue efforts


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  • Twenty-two Arkansas National Guard soldiers and four UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters have been deployed to Texas to assist with flood search and rescue efforts.
  • Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders authorized the deployment, which will last until at least July 12.
  • The deployment includes pilots, crew chiefs, maintenance personnel, and a helicopter crew equipped for medical evacuations.
  • The assistance was requested through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC).

Twenty-two Arkansas National Guard soldiers have been deployed to Texas to assist with search and rescue efforts following severe flooding in the Austin area.

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders authorized the deployment on July 7, with the Guardsmen departing the morning of July 8 aboard four UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. The group includes pilots, crew chiefs, and six maintenance personnel. Two additional soldiers will remain in Arkansas to serve as liaison officers, providing direct support to the deployed unit as needed.

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The initial deployment runs through July 12, but orders may be extended depending on mission requirements.

“Our hearts go out to those affected in Texas,” said Brig. Gen. Chad Bridges, Arkansas’ adjutant general. “Under Governor Sanders’ leadership and direction, we’re eager to assist our brothers and sisters in the Texas National Guard as they continue to respond and recover from the Texas flooding.”

The assistance was requested through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), a mutual aid agreement among states that facilitates assistance during emergencies.

One helicopter crew has been designated for medical evacuation and is equipped with forward-looking infrared and hoist capabilities. The remaining three crews will provide hoist support, visual search operations, passenger transport, and cargo movement.

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The Arkansas National Guard frequently provides support roles during emergencies to help civil authorities under the direction of the Governor.



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Democratic Party of Arkansas chair announces he will step down effective July 15 | Arkansas Democrat Gazette

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Democratic Party of Arkansas chair announces he will step down effective July 15 | Arkansas Democrat Gazette


Grant Tennille, the Democratic Party of Arkansas’ chair, will resign effective July 15, after serving at the helm of the party since October 2021, the party announced Monday.

Vice Chair Jannie Cotton of Sherwood will become the party’s interim chair, after Tennille’s resignation becomes effective and the party’s State Committee will elect a party chair within 60 days of the resignation becoming effective, in accordance with the party’s rules, according to the party’s news release and party spokesperson Micah Wallace.

Tennille of Little Rock, 56, said in the party’s news release that “I am weary, and I’ve missed way too much time with my family.

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“Next year promises to be the most demanding yet, and it is better to step aside today, to allow the new chair to plan for ’26, preside over candidate filing and hit the ground next year with a few months’ experience under their belt,” he said.

“I am excited by the group of Democratic candidates who are stepping forward to run next year because I believe their strength indicates that this party’s best days lie ahead,” Tennille said in the party’s news release. “I’m proud of the small role I have played in this progress.”

The party filing period in Arkansas will be from Nov. 3-11, and the primary election will be March 3 for the 2026 election, according to the secretary of state’s office. The general election will be Nov. 3, 2026.

Tennille — who worked in the administrations of both former Republican Gov. Mike Huckabee and former Democratic Gov. Mike Beebe and served stints as deputy chief of staff and the Arkansas Economic Development Commission executive director under Beebe — was elected as the party’s chair by the Democratic Party of Arkansas’ State Committee in October 2021, after Beebe recommended him for the post.

Among other things, he previously worked as a sports reporter and capital beat reporter for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, public policy adviser for The Thompson Group in Little Rock, and as a senior public policy adviser for Qwest Communications in Denver.

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In December 2022, Tennille initially announced that he wasn’t seeking reelection as party chair. At that time, he said, “I’m exhausted” after he simultaneously served as the party’s unpaid chairman and executive director. The party had become solvent after its finances were in a fairly precarious position when he started as party chair.

But less than two months later, in late January 2023, he was reelected to a four-year term as the party’s chair by acclamation by the State Committee. At that time, he said former state Sens. Joyce Elliott, D-Little Rock, and Keith Ingram, D-West Memphis, persuaded him to run for another term and they told him that he could do the job with a better work-life balance.

Tennille has often remarked that his duties as party chair extended from toilet cleaner and plumbing repairman to chief representative to the Democratic National Committee, according to the Democratic Party of Arkansas’ news release on Monday.

Tennille said Monday that it’s been an honor to serve Arkansas Democrats for nearly four years as chair of the party.

“Together, we have returned our party to strength and competitiveness, and I must extend a special thanks to the ‘true believers,’ among us who made it happen through hard work and generosity,” he said in the party’s news release.

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Tennille said that when he became party chair in 2021, he promised the State Committee that he would work full-time because that’s what everyone, including himself, felt the job demanded.

“I have been diligent; in the office most weeks for between 50 and 60 hours and spending many nights and weekends traveling the state,” he said in the release. “That work has helped the Party to begin to rebuild trust and grow again, but it has come at a personal cost.”

Tennille, 56, could not be reached for comment by telephone Monday afternoon.

Senate Democratic leader Greg Leding of Fayetteville said Monday that he hates to see Tennille leave as party chair.

He added that Tennille has done incredible work heading the party after his predecessor left it in tough shape.

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House Democratic leader Andrew Collins of Little Rock said “Grant did a great job earning trust, navigating numerous constituencies, and growing the party.

“Under his leadership, Democrats gained in the House for the first time in nearly two decades, and we’re in a strong position for the future,” he said. “I’m grateful for his service, accomplishments, and friendship.”

In the 2024 general election, Arkansas Democrats netted one seat in the Arkansas House of Representatives in what was a bleak election for Democrats nationally.

Arkansas’ Republicans currently hold each of Arkansas’ six seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate; all seven of the state’s constitutional officers; and supermajorities in both the Arkansas House of Representatives and Arkansas Senate.

In the Arkansas House of Representatives, Republicans hold 81 seats and Democrats hold the other 19 seats. In the Arkansas Senate, Republicans hold 29 seats and Democrats hold the other six seats.

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Asked for a comment about Tennille’s resignation as chair of the Democratic Party of Arkansas, Maya Harvey, a spokesperson for the Republican Party of Arkansas, said Monday in a written statement that “The next Democrat Party Chair is going to face the exact same challenge the outgoing Chair did: an overwhelming majority of Arkansans who have repeatedly rejected the Democrats’ radical agenda at the ballot box. Best of luck!”

Joseph Wood, a former secretary of the state Department of Transformation and Shared Services and Washington County judge, has served as chair of the Republican Party of Arkansas since August 2023. In 2022, he lost a bid for the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor.

Wood was initially elected as party chair by the GOP’s State committee in August 2023, after former party chairman Cody Hiland resigned from the post and Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders appointed Hiland to the Arkansas Supreme Court to serve in place of Justice Robin Wynne, who died in June 2023. Wood was re-elected by the GOP’s State Committee as party chair in December 2024.

Following a meeting Thursday of the Democratic Party of Arkansas’ Executive Committee, the Democratic Party of Arkansas said it will release additional information on Friday about the upcoming elections for party leadership.

Collins, Leding and Ingram on Monday each steered clear of publicly suggesting any particular candidate to be Tennille’s successor as party chair.

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“The party has a deep bench of excellent potential candidates, and I look forward to seeing who emerges,” Collins said.

Ingram said there are a number of excellent potential candidates for party chair that should be given plenty of time to consider running , and it’s important for the party not to rush holding an election for state party chair.



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