Arkansas

Keep Arkansas Beautiful sees another successful year

Published

3 years ago

January 8, 2024

Keep Arkansas Beautiful sees another successful year

LITTLE ROCK, La. (KNOE) – Arkansas saw another year of commitment to the beauty and protection of the state as every county registered cleanups during Keep Arkansas Beautiful Commission’s cleanup challenge in 2023.

The Great Arkansas Cleanup Challenge had thousands of Arkansans volunteer to clean up litter in every county between Sept. 1, 2023, through Oct. 31, 2023. According to KAB, 120 tons of litter was removed from Arkansas roads, waterways, and acres of parks and public areas.

“The success of the 2023 Great Arkansas Cleanup is a testament to the pride and dedication of volunteers across our state,” said Robyn Taylor, volunteer program manager at KAB. “These results display what collective responsibility can accomplish and should inspire us all to foster a continued sense of ownership in preserving the beauty of Arkansas.”

Along with picking up litter, volunteers also planted 426 tress and 142 plants, shrubs. flowers and bulbs.

“We’re immensely proud of the incredible dedication shown by Arkansans during this year’s Great Arkansas Cleanup,” said Colbie Jones, director of KAB. “This year’s results underscore the passion and commitment of our communities toward preserving the natural beauty of our state. The collaborative effort and enthusiasm displayed by volunteers reflect our shared commitment to a cleaner, more beautiful Arkansas.”

KAB says they encourage Arkansans to continue working toward a more beautiful Arkansas in 2024. To learn more about the organization and its upcoming cleanup initiatives, visit keeparkansasbeautiful.com.

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Arkansas

Arkansas Storm Team Forecast: Very hot today; isolated showers/t’storms late

Published

8 hours ago

July 9, 2026

Press Room

Arkansas Storm Team Forecast: Very hot today; isolated showers/t’storms late

Temperatures will climb to the upper 90s today and heat index values will get close to 105° this afternoon. There are heat advisories today for part of west and southwest Arkansas.

Today will bring a slight chance of showers or thunderstorms late in the day in Central Arkansas.

Friday will also bring a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms with very hot weather.

Rain chances increase and temperatures drop this weekend when a cold front moves through Arkansas.

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Arkansas

ARKANSAS SIGHTSEEING: Randolph County can claim many firsts in Arkansas | Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Published

19 hours ago

July 8, 2026

Press Room

ARKANSAS SIGHTSEEING: Randolph County can claim many firsts in Arkansas | Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Northwest Arkansas Newspapers LLC

Material from the Associated Press is Copyright © 2026, Associated Press and may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use. The AP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing. All rights reserved.

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Arkansas

Army names intelligence facility for Arkansas Tech graduate

Published

1 day ago

July 8, 2026

Press Room

Army names intelligence facility for Arkansas Tech graduate

The late Maj. Gen. Gary W. Johnston was honored with the dedication of a military intelligence complex in his name at Fort Huachuca, Arizona.
Johnston, an Arkansas Tech University graduate, was also posthumously inducted into the Military Intelligence Hall of Fame.
He is credited with modernizing Army intelligence by integrating technologies like artificial intelligence and big data analytics.
The new facility consolidates several intelligence units to improve collaboration, security, and operational efficiency.

A former Arkansas Tech University graduate and commander of the U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command is being remembered with two posthumous honors recognizing his lasting influence on the nation’s military intelligence operations.

The late Maj. Gen. Gary W. Johnston, a 1987 Arkansas Tech graduate and Russellville native, was honored during a dedication ceremony June 25 at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, where the Army officially named a newly consolidated military intelligence complex the Major General Gary W. Johnston Consolidated Mission Facility.

Johnston also was posthumously inducted into the Military Intelligence Hall of Fame for helping reshape Army intelligence through the integration of emerging technologies, including big data analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning.

The new facility serves as a central hub for U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM) operations at Fort Huachuca, known as the “Home of Army Intelligence.” It houses some of the Army’s most critical intelligence personnel and brings together units that had previously operated from aging buildings spread across the installation.

Army officials said the previous arrangement created operational challenges, including limited secure workspaces, outdated infrastructure and additional security requirements. Beginning in 2018, INSCOM launched an effort to consolidate those missions by renovating two existing buildings into a 16,300-square-foot intelligence operations center designed to improve collaboration and security.

The facility now houses INSCOM G3’s Detachment 52, elements of the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command, representatives from the Ground Intelligence Support Activity, an emerging Foundry program element and other intelligence organizations.

Among those attending the dedication were Johnston’s wife, Brig. Gen. Amy Johnston, daughter Lauren Woodworth and granddaughter Arabella Woodworth.

Maj. Gen. Rhett R. Cox, commanding general of U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command, said the building represents more than a new workplace.

“As we dedicate the U.S. Army INSCOM Major General Gary W. Johnston Consolidated Mission Facility, we do more than just open a new facility… we consecrate a tribute to his indelible legacy,” Cox said. “This facility will stand as a constant reminder of his service, his vision and his unwavering commitment to our nation and to the soldiers he led. It will inspire future generations of intelligence professionals to emulate his example of leadership and selfless service.”

Retired Chief Warrant Officer 5 Kevin Boughton, former INSCOM command chief warrant officer, said Johnston envisioned closer collaboration between the Army’s intelligence training and operational communities.

Boughton said Johnston believed the distance between the Intelligence Center of Excellence and INSCOM’s operational units “shouldn’t be measured in miles,” but instead by “a seamless flow of data, doctrine, and talent” where operational experience and institutional knowledge move freely between soldiers in the field and those training the next generation.

Johnston graduated from Russellville High School in 1983 before earning a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Arkansas Tech in 1987. Through the university’s Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program, he received his commission as a U.S. Army officer.

During a military career spanning more than 34 years, Johnston served in command and staff assignments ranging from platoon level to senior leadership within the Army and Department of Defense. He deployed in support of Operation Desert Shield, Operation Desert Storm, Operation Joint Endeavor, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Freedom’s Sentinel.

In 2015, Johnston became the seventh graduate of Arkansas Tech’s Army ROTC program to attain the rank of general officer. He was promoted to major general in 2017.

He concluded his military career as commanding general of U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command, overseeing approximately 17,500 personnel operating in more than 40 countries.

Army leaders credited Johnston with helping modernize military intelligence by laying the groundwork for the establishment of the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command, which was formally created in 2022 after his retirement. He also led development of what became the Army Intelligence Data Platform, designed to incorporate advanced data analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning into intelligence operations while supporting future large-scale combat operations.

Johnston also promoted data science education within the military intelligence community by partnering with George Mason University to provide specialized training for Army warrant officers.

Colleagues remembered Johnston not only for his strategic vision but also for his leadership style. Despite working in one of the Army’s most demanding operational environments, they described him as a source of humor, kindness and encouragement whose focus remained on the soldiers, civilians and contractors carrying out the intelligence mission.

Johnston retired from active duty in 2021 and died in January 2022.

His latest recognitions add to previous honors from his alma mater. Johnston was a member of the inaugural Arkansas Tech Army ROTC Hall of Honor in 2017 and was inducted into the university’s Hall of Distinction in 2019.

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