Arkansas
Judge blocks Arkansas law allowing librarians to be criminally charged over ‘harmful’ materials
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Arkansas is temporarily blocked from enforcing a law that would have allowed criminal charges against librarians and booksellers for providing “harmful” materials to minors, a federal judge ruled Saturday.
U.S. District Judge Timothy L. Brooks issued a preliminary injunction against the law, which also would have created a new process to challenge library materials and request that they be relocated to areas not accessible by kids. The measure, signed by Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders earlier this year, was set to take effect Aug. 1.
A coalition that included the Central Arkansas Library System in Little Rock had challenged the law, saying fear of prosecution under the measure could prompt libraries and booksellers to no longer carry titles that could be challenged.
The lawsuit comes as lawmakers in an increasing number of conservative states are pushing for measures making it easier to ban or restrict access to books. The number of attempts to ban or restrict books across the U.S. last year was the highest in the 20 years the American Library Association has been tracking such efforts.
Laws restricting access to certain materials or making it easier to challenge them have been enacted in several other states, including Iowa, Indiana and Texas.
The Arkansas lawsuit names the state’s 28 local prosecutors as defendants, along with Crawford County in west Arkansas. A separate lawsuit is challenging the Crawford County library’s decision to move children’s books that included LGBTQ+ themes to a separate portion of the library.
The plaintiffs challenging Arkansas’ restrictions also include the Fayetteville and Eureka Springs Carnegie public libraries, the American Booksellers Association and the Association of American Publishers.
Arkansas
$800m to replace bridge over Mississippi that links Arkansas and Tennessee – Global Construction Review
An $800m project has been announced to replace the 75-year-old I-55 Bridge over the Mississippi between the states of Arkansas and Tennessee.
Some $394m will come from the US Department of Transportation (DOT) with a further $250m each from the states.
The structure will add capacity and improve safety. By 2050, it is expected to accommodate 64,000 vehicles a day, up from the current 48,000.
Butch Eley, Tennessee’s transport commissioner, said: “This historic project is four times larger than anything we have previously built.”
Lorie Tudor, his opposite number at Arkansas, added: “I’m proud of the collaboration between Arkansas, Tennessee and other regional stakeholders to help secure this important infrastructure funding for our region.”
The DOT notes that the funding is part of a larger $5bn investment from the Biden administration’s Bridge Investment Programme, which will be split between 13 bridges in 16 states.
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Arkansas
The complete list of University of Arkansas athletes who will compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics
Five Paris Olympics storylines to know from security to Simone Biles
The Paris Olympics are fast approaching. Here’s what you need to know about the first post-pandemic Games.
A drove of Hogs are in Paris and gearing up to compete in the 2024 Summer Olympics, which begin this weekend.
In total, 25 current and former University of Arkansas athletes have qualified to compete or be an alternate in the upcoming Olympics. The Opening Ceremony, down the River Siene (the first opening ceremony not in an Olympic stadium) is set for Friday.
Twenty of the Razorbacks headed to Paris hail from the school’s historic track and field program. Arkansas will also have representatives competing in golf, swimming and an alternate in gymnastics.
More: Arkansas football DE Landon Jackson knows he needs more consistency in 2024
More: Arkansas baseball: A way-too-early prediction for the Razorbacks 2025 Opening Day lineup
Team USA will have eight representatives from Arkansas. Jamaica isn’t far behind with eight, and nine countries will have at least one athlete who previously competed for the Razorbacks.
Here is the full list of University of Arkansas Olympians. The Summer games will run through Aug. 11.
Arkansas Razorbacks Olympians for 2024 (Years at University of Arkansas):
Track and Field
United States
Chris Bailey — 400m, 4x400m Relay (2023-24)
Taliyah Brooks — Heptathlon (2014-18)
Kaylyn Brown — 4x400m Relay pool (Sophomore)
Rachel Glenn — High Jump (Redshirt Junior)
Nikki Hiltz — 1,500m (2015-18)
Jarrion Lawson — Long Jump (2012-16)
Isabella Whittaker — 4x400m Relay pool (Senior)
Other Countries
Amber Anning — 400m, 4x400m Relay — Great Britain (2022-24)
Romaine Beckford — High Jump — Jamaica (2023-24)
Janeek Brown — 100m Hurdles — Jamaica (2018-19)
Jaydon Hibbert — Triple Jump — Jamaica (2023)
Sanu Jallow — 800m — Gambia (Junior)
Shafiqua Maloney — 800m — St. Vincent & the Grenandines (2018-21)
Cary McLeod — Long Jump — Jamaica (2022-23)
Ackera Nugent — 100m Hurdles — Jamaica (2022-23)
Ayden Owens-Delerme — Decathlon — Puerto Rico (2021-23)
Wayne Pinnock — Long Jump — Jamaica (2022-24)
Nickisha Pryce — 400m, 4x400m Relay — Jamaica (2022-24)
Tina Šutej — Pole Vault — Slovenia (2008-12)
Rojé Stona — Discus — Jamaica (2022-24)
Swimming
Other Countries
Anna Hopkin — 50m Freestyle, 100m Freestyle, Relays — Great Britain (2018-19)
Golf
Other Countries
Maria Fassi — Mexico (2015-19)
Gaby Lopez — Mexico (2012-15)
Nico Echavarria — Colombia (2012-14)
Gymnastics
United States
Joscelyn Roberson — Gymnastics alternate (freshman)
A Tuesday afternoon shooting left one person injured at a North Little Rock apartment complex, police said.
Officers responded around 1:35 p.m. Tuesday to a report of a shooting near the Eastgate Terrace Apartments, where they located one person who had been hit by gunfire, police spokesperson Sgt. Carmen Helton said.
Authorities did not think the victim’s injuries were life-threatening, and they were taken to an area hospital for treatment, Helton said. Police did not publicly identify any suspects in the shooting Tuesday evening.
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