Arkansas
Standoff at 45th and Arkansas has closed roads in the area
(Replace) – One particular person has been taken to the hospital after a standoff that lasted over 5 fours.
“9-1-1 obtained a phone name (at) in all probability 9:00 this morning of a home violence involving pictures fired on that home violence name,” stated interim Police Chief Lem Moore of the Wichita Police Division.
When officers arrived on scene, they realized {that a} topic had barricaded himself within the again shed of a residence. Officers had been unable to make face-to-face contact with the particular person. A cellphone name was made to the suspect at the moment, and a dialog happened. Quickly afterward, he determined to not talk anymore.
Negotiators had been known as to the residence in hopes that the person would negotiate and are available out from the shed safely. That particular person shut down communications didn’t need to talk and speak anymore.
At roughly 11:30, the SWAT group was known as to the world to work with the particular person, as a result of there was a previous historical past of violence with the particular person with pictures being fired. A cellphone was tossed to the particular person’s approximate location in order that he might converse with them group; nevertheless, the particular person refused to take the cellphone and converse with officers.
Then, the person started to fireplace pictures randomly all through the skin of the shed. 4 to 5 pictures had been fired, one hitting a police automobile. At this level, when the person stepped again outdoors the shed to fireplace once more, one shot was fired from regulation enforcement, placing the particular person.
Interim chief Moore added that EMS was in a position to transfer in, start engaged on the particular person, and transported him to a neighborhood hospital.
The standoff lasted for 5 and a half hours, and whereas the investigation remains to be ongoing, officers consider that the menace has been stopped, because it was individualized to that household. Members of the family thanked officers for dealing with the state of affairs effectively, Moore added.
(KAKE) – For the previous a number of hours, KAKE Information has been on the scene of a standoff close to forty fifth and Arkansas.
In line with the Wichita Police Division (WPD), a home violence name got here in to dispatchers at roughly 9:00 Sunday morning at a house within the space. A number of businesses are on scene, together with WPD, the Kansas Freeway Patrol and the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Workplace.
At the moment, there have been reviews of pictures fired from a handgun throughout this incident. SWAT members and negotiators are on the scene of the standoff, making an attempt to make contact with the particular person within the residence.
The world has been secured and the world across the residence in query is empty and protected. There are not any reviews of accidents.
Police Captain Travis Easter with the WPD says that 4-6 individuals, all members of the family, are concerned within the incident and that the scene might be lively for a number of extra hours.
North and South Arkansas streets are closed for the following a number of hours in addition to forty fifth avenue in that space
Police verify that they’ve had contact with each particular person concerned the incident.
This story is growing. Keep tuned to KAKE Information, each on tv and on-line, for additional updates.
Arkansas
Viewer pictures: The Natural State transforms into a winter wonderland
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – A winter storm rolled into Arkansas Thursday and brought with it snow to the majority of western and central Arkansas.
Many from around the Natural State sent in pictures of their area covered in snow.
Though Arkansas is already full of natural beauty, there’s something about the state covered in snow that makes it even more of a winter wonderland.
Several kids from around the state got out and took advantage of the day off of school by throwing snowballs, digging up the snow, sledding and of course making snow angels.
Many who got out in the snow had enough accumulated to make snow men.
Share your snow day pictures at KARK.com/winter-pics.
Arkansas
Arkansas Blue Cross & Blue Shield Lays Off About 75 Workers, Reports $100M Loss
The Arkansas Blue Cross & Blue Shield building in Little Rock (Michael Pirnique)
Arkansas Blue Cross & Blue Shield sent layoff notices to 2% of its workforce — about 75 employees — on Thursday after reporting a loss of more than $100 million in the first three quarters of 2024, the state’s dominant health insurance carrier confirmed.
The Little Rock nonprofit had 3,375 employees as of April 2024, and its $3.14 billion in 2023 revenue put it at the top of Arkansas Business‘ most recent list of the state’s largest private companies.
But revenue in the first three quarters of 2024 was down by almost 7%, and the company (officially USAble Mutual) reported to the Arkansas Insurance Department a net loss of $100.5 million for those nine months. That compares with net income of $94.7 million for the same period in 2023, although the year finished with net income of just $13.2 million.
“The reduction in workforce was due to changing conditions in the market and increasing financial pressures primarily due to health care costs jumping to the highest levels in more than a decade,” Max Greenwood, an ABCBS spokeswoman, said in response to email questions Thursday afternoon.
ABCBS also has seen “large increases” in the use of all medical services, especially prescription drugs.
“These situations have caused necessary shifts in business strategy across the health care and health care insurance industries,” she said.
In addition, the insurance company lost tens of thousands of members as result of the state’s disenrollment of tens people on Medicaid in 2023.
As part of the Obama-era Medicaid expansion, the state pays private insurers to provide health insurance policies to qualifying Arkansans under the Arkansas Health & Opportunity for Me program, or ARHOME. This program had been known as the “private option” and Arkansas Works.
In January 2023, ABCBS had about 207,000 ARHome members. By December 2024, it was down to 108,729, Greenwood said.
“We’ve also seen a drastic increase in the claims amounts among our ARHome population,” she said. “Remember, since we were the first company who offered ARHome policies statewide when the program began, our block of members in that program is older and most likely unhealthier than what other carriers may be experiencing.”
ABCBS’ premium revenue fell during the first three quarters of 2024. It reported $2.2 billion premiums collected net of reinsurance through Sept. 30, a 4.8% drop from the same period in 2023.
The insurance company’s total members also fell from 630,444 on Dec. 31, 2023, to 598,492 on Sept. 30. The biggest drop came from its comprehensive individual plan. In that group, the total members fell nearly 17% to 132,596 members.
ABCBS also laid off 85 employees in January 2024. Those positions have not been refilled, Greenwood said.
She said it was too early to tell what the financial numbers will look like for the fourth quarter, which ended Dec. 31. No additional layoffs are planned at this time.
“Every executive vice president was asked to make reductions in their areas,” she said.
Greenwood said the insurance company has made several other budget-tightening moves for 2025. “We’ve reduced our budget by more than 7% including cuts to consulting and outside vendor costs, contract labor, software and equipment and facility costs,” she said. “We’ve also had to implement substantial premium increases on our small and large groups.”
Greenwood said the company has a strong balance sheet and has no concerns about its liquidity.
Founded in 1948, Arkansas Blue Cross & Blue Shield offers health and dental insurance policies for individuals and families.
Arkansas
Topping out ceremony for new $33.9 million Arkansas Tech University Ferguson Student Union set for Tuesday in Russellville | Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
RUSSELLVILLE — Arkansas Tech University and Kinco Constructors will host a topping out ceremony for the $33.9 million Ferguson Student Union at 2 p.m. Tuesday.
Attendance will be open to the public. Those in attendance will have an opportunity to sign the final steel beam before it is put in place atop the facility. Refreshments will be served in Chambers Cafeteria West Dining Room following the ceremony.
Construction on Ferguson Student Union on its Russellville campus began last year after the ATU Board of Trustees accepted the guaranteed maximum price for building the facility during its meeting on June 20.
Kinco Constructors submitted a final price of $33,946,865 for the project. That figure includes the cost of demolishing the Administration Building and Tomlinson Hall, constructing Ferguson Student Union and parking lot development on the south side of the new building
Parking for the event will be in the lot between Rothwell Hall and Doc Bryan Student Services Center with overflow in the Tucker Coliseum parking lot. Golf cart shuttles to and from the ceremony site will be available.
Those unable to attend the ceremony who wish to sign the steel beam may do so from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday and beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday through the ceremony at 2 p.m. that afternoon. The beam will be located on the east side of the construction site near Rothwell Hall and Dr. Robert Charles Brown and Jill Lestage Brown Hall.
Construction of Ferguson Student Union began in July 2024 and is scheduled to be complete in early 2026.
Located on the parcel of land between Chambers Cafeteria and the Hull Physical Education Building, Ferguson Student Union is named for ATU benefactors Cindi and Jimmy Ferguson.
Ferguson Student Union will provide student meeting spaces, lounge spaces for students to enjoy during their free time, fast casual dining, an e-sports gaming lab, basketball courts, a location to check out outdoor recreation gear and workout areas for cardiovascular and strength fitness training.
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