Arkansas
Visitor finds 2.3-carat diamond at Arkansas state park
MURFREESBORO, Ark. (KARK) – A visitor to Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas left with a 2.3-carat diamond to commemorate the trip.
The unnamed visitor arrived at the park when it opened at 8 a.m. on Sept. 27 and used a rentable kit from the park’s Diamond Discovery Center. After a few hours of sifting through screens, the visitor decided to look around and began walking the diamond search area.
Man finds 4.87-carat diamond in Arkansas state park, largest discovery since 2020
The visitor reportedly spotted something shiny lying on the ground.
“From far away it shined so clearly,” park officials quoted the visitor saying. “I thought it might be a piece of trash or a bug; it was so much shinier than anything else out there.”
The visitor told officials that after they picked up the shiny piece they realized it was much more than trash. They put the shiny rock in their pocket, walked over to the park’s mineral identification center, pulled it out of their pocket, and laid it on the desk.
Arizona dad recounts finding 2-carat diamond with son at Crater of Diamonds State Park
Officials said it was a diamond, a silver-white gem weighing 2.3 carats that’s about the size of a pencil eraser. Officials added that a white diamond is closest to pure carbon crystal.
Park officials said this is the second-largest diamond found in the park this year and the third diamond over two carats in 2024. To date, 548 diamonds have been harvested in the park in 2024, with a total weight of 82 carats.
Visitor from France finds 7.46-carat diamond at Crater of Diamonds State Park
An average of two diamonds are found each day, officials said. In 1924, before the park’s founding, the 40.23 Uncle Sam Diamond was found in what is now the park area. You can see that diamond on display at the Smithsonian Museum.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
Arkansas
Arkansas Storm Team Forecast: Rain chances return; low to start but higher next week
No rain in Thursday’s forecast.
The chance of rain will return on Friday, but the chance is going to be very low Friday through Sunday.
Then the chance really picks up early next week as a front approaches. Stronger to severe storms are going to be possible Monday evening and Tuesday morning.
Arkansas
Staff Members at A-State Honored for Retirement and Years of Service
JONESBORO – Staff members at Arkansas State University were honored for their retirement
and milestone accomplishments during the annual Distinguished Performance Awards and
Service Recognition Ceremony in Centennial Hall of Reng Student Union on Monday, May
11.
Those who have or will retire during the current academic year include Malissa Davis,
Ellis Library, 35 years; Jimmy Crocker, Facilities Management, 28 years; Anna Warren,
Childhood Services, 19 years; Cameron Martin, Facilities Management, 14 years; Barbara
Bland, Childhood Services, 14 years; Charlotte Booker, Information Technology Services,
12 years; Mary E. Williams, College of Nursing and Health Professions, 11 years; and
Joe Boon, Facilities Management, 9 years.
Honored for 45 years of service was Sharon Lee, director of community engagement and
outreach for the office of Access and Accommodation Services.
Honored for 40 years of service was Sharon McDaniel, records management supervisor
for the Registrar’s Office.
Those honored for 35 years of service include:
Phillip Ladd, project manager in Construction Services, and Russ Hannah, vice chancellor
for Finance and Administration.
Those honored for 30 years of service include:
Natalie Turney, administrative assistant in the Department of English, Philosophy
and World Languages and Cheryl Richey, custodial coordinator in Facilities Management.
Those honored for 25 years of service include:
Woodie Sue Herlein, out-of-school time projects coordinator in Childhood Services;
Diana Courson, assistant director of Childhood Services; Laura Miller, director of
Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center; Mia Sheppard-Taylor, director
of Custodial Services; Eric Barnett, core network engineer and wireless administrator
of Information Technology Services; Clay Hurn, Mail Center; and Sharon Rye, hardware
engineer in Information Technology Services.
Those honored for 20 years of service include:
April Morris, Michael Glover, Mary Melton, Grady Clark, Amber Long Martin, Kayann
Brown, Dwain Roberts, Randy Wheaton, Amber Jones, Melissa Jackson, Cheryl Wright,
Christy Brinkley, and Jimmy Rousseau.
Those honored for 15 years of service include:
Ronnie Gilley, Christina Kostick, Carol Caldwell, Michael Bradley, Mark Freier, Shea
Harris, Thomas Wilson, Chris Boothman, Lora Gibson, Cary Estes, Stephanie Gibson,
Jesse Blankenship, Violeta Lugo, Alyssa Wells, Marsha Carwell, Vickie Gilmer, Edward
Haff, and Alexis Hurdle Besharse.
Those honored for 10 years of service include:
Michael Hagen, Tammy Daffron, Terri Teters, Mollie Menton-Ipsen, Dale McClelland,
Taylor Carpenter, Anne Merten, Avis Turner, Benjamin Housewright, Dallas Reece, Brandon
Tabor, Tia Caldwell, Tara Thomason, Petree Buford, Robert Davenport, Cathy Naylor,
Shannon Williams, Jackie Cox, Frazier Dixon, Devin Nelson, and Michelle White.
Those honored for five years of service include:
Jeri Knight, Josh Rogers, Taylor Shannon, Fen Yu, Deloris Holley, Penny Toombs, Greg
Umhoefer, Sasha Jones, Brittany Stokes, Stephanie Stanley, Caleb Lawson, Raven Person,
Maria Bedwell, Michael Bledsoe, Judith Poole, Suzette Hinkle, Leigh Ann Crain, Bryce
Moore, Andrew Shoffner, Lyle Jones, Derrick Lett, Ben Kutylo, Autumn Anderson, Stanley
Broadaway, Michael Alexander, Jennifer Keys, Julie Yarberry, Shauna Baker, Melissa
Dooley, Paula Kelley, Taylor Simmermon, Craig Estes, Kyle Ford, Fady Fara, Sylvia
Zavala Brandon, Nicholas Wallis, Olivia Clark, and JD Stallings.
Honorees from five years of service through 20 years received a certificate and a
pin. Those celebrating 25 years and up received a plaque in recognition of their dedication
to A-State.
Arkansas
Working on softball skills | Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Anya Lynch (left), a Farmington High School student, fields the ball with the help of Riley Sundquist, Farmington Junior High School student on Wednesday, May 6, during the Special Olympics Arkansas Area 3-Farmington softball skills and competition event at the Farmington Sports Complex. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Caleb Grieger)
Anya Lynch (left), a Farmington High School student, fields the ball with the help of Riley Sundquist, Farmington Junior High School student on Wednesday, May 6, during the Special Olympics Arkansas Area 3-Farmington softball skills and competition event at the Farmington Sports Complex. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Caleb Grieger)
-
New York59 minutes agoFlag With Swastika and Star of David Flown on N.Y.U. Building, Police Say
-
Los Angeles, Ca1 hour agoEarly morning Montebello fire leaves resident critically injured
-
Detroit, MI1 hour agoWhat big announcement at DPSCD Hall of Fame Gala could mean for Detroit students
-
San Francisco, CA2 hours agoCasting shade on shadows: S.F. supervisor seeks to bar using shadows to block new housing
-
Dallas, TX2 hours agoDallas Approves $180,500 for New Botham Jean Boulevard Street Signs
-
Miami, FL2 hours agoMiami residents sue over land for Trump presidential library
-
Boston, MA2 hours agoBoston has a secret society built on opium money in ‘The Society’
-
Denver, CO2 hours agoDenver weather: Nearing record highs again
