Arkansas
S&P brightens rating outlook for Arkansas
Citing Arkansas’ “financial resiliency,” S&P Global Ratings revised the outlook on the state’s AA general obligation bond rating to positive from stable.
The rating agency’s action Thursday came ahead of the state’s sale of about $30 million of water, waste disposal and pollution abatement facilities GO bonds.
“The outlook revision reflects Arkansas’ demonstrated budget management practices and financial resiliency across economic cycles, which has yielded steady operating surpluses and an accumulation of substantial reserves,” S&P analyst Rob Marker said in a statement. “This is in conjunction with our expectation that recent improving economic and demographic growth trends will more closely align with U.S. levels over time, all of which support our view of a one-in-three chance that we could raise the rating over the outlook period.”
Arkansas is rated Aa1 with a stable outlook by Moody’s Ratings.
“The rating reflects the state’s strong governance practices, with conservatively managed financial operations that consistently result in healthy year-end fund balances and below-average debt and pension burdens,” Moody’s said in a May 1 report. “These features balance credit risks stemming from a weak demographic profile and exposure to elevated Medicaid expenses.”
“I’m pleased that both Moody’s and S&P affirmed their credit ratings for the State of Arkansas,” said Jim Hudson, secretary of the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. “S&P’s improved outlook for the state from ‘stable’ to ‘positive’ is a direct result of the hard work by Governor (Sarah Huckabee) Sanders and the Arkansas General Assembly to fully fund our long-term reserves and to limit the growth of spending.”
The state had $514.13 million of GO bonds issued for highways, water, capital improvements, and higher education
Purdue football coach Barry Odom makes first public appearance
Purdue football coach Barry Odom addresses questions from media in first public appearance in West Lafayette
WEST LAFAYETTE − Purdue football continues to stockpile Arkansas linebackers.
After snagging Razorback Alex Sanford out of the transfer portal, the Boilermakers picked up a commitment from Carson Dean.
Dean was a redshirt freshman for Arkansas this season and played in two games.
Dean, from Frisco, Texas, was a three star prospect by 247Sports out of Hebron High who had 17 offers, including Purdue.
In high school, Dean was an all-district outside linebacker after compiling 85 tackles, including 21 for loss as a senior in 2022.
At the time of his commitment, Barry Odom was Arkansas’ defensive coordinator and Mike Scherer, recently hired as Purdue’s defensive coordinator, was the Arkansas linebackers coach.
Scherer recruited Dean to Arkansas.
Odom’s staff, in need of linebackers after Kydran Jenkins graduated and Yanni Karlaftis transferred to Northwestern.
Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on X and Instagram @samueltking.
Purdue is starting to pick up steam on the transfer portal market as former Arkansas linebacker Alex Sanford announced his commitment to the Boilermakers following an official visit to West Lafayette this weekend.
Sanford becomes Purdue’s second transfer portal pickup of the cycle and second from Arkansas, following quarterback Malachi Singleton, who announced his commitment to the Boilermakers earlier this week.
The redshirt freshman linebacker had committed to Arkansas to play for Barry Odom and Mike Scherer when the two were coaching in Fayetteville. Two years later he now follows the Boilermakers’ new head coach and defensive coordinator to West Lafayette at a position of need.
Purdue had a thin linebacker corps this season, which saw Kydran Jenkins and Yanni Karlaftis depart this off-season. Sanford now joins Hudson Miller, Winston Berglund and Owen Davis as players with experience at the linebacker position for the Boilermakers heading into 2025.
Sanford has had a minimal role on defense during his career, playing just nine snaps, but he has carved out a consistent role on special teams. Sanford had the third most special teams snaps of any Razorback in 2024, and 328 across his two seasons, serving on the kick return, kick coverage, punt return and punt coverage units, holding a 65.2 Pro Football Focus grade in that regard.
Sanford will have two years of eligibility remaining with the Boilermakers.
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