EDITORIAL >> Disaster aid is bipartisan

Arkansas’ bipartisan congressional delegation on Monday applauded FEMA’s decision adding Pulaski, Randolph and White counties to its list of disaster areas, joining Faulkner County, which made the list days after the April 27 tornado devastated much of Vilonia. The declaration will make Arkansas eligible for low-interest loans and perhaps for additional funding from Washington. With two major tornadoes in three […]

TOP STORY >> Recycling center gets new name

By EILEEN FELDMAN Managing editor Jacksonville’s quintessential volunteer and volunteer extraordinaire, Ron Newport, was honored last week when city fathers named the recycling education park on Marshall Road in his honor. Newport, who will be 84 in July, is Jacksonville’s father of recycling. “Ron was instrumental in getting recycling up and going in Jacksonville,” Jim Durham, the city’s director of […]

TOP STORY >> Guilty of murder, Beebe man says in a plea bargain

Nicholas Ryan Holloway, 24, of Beebe has been sentenced to 35 years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections for the role he played in the January 2013 shooting death of Hurbert Dewayne Jackson, 27. Lonoke County Prosecutor Chuck Graham said the victim’s family is aware and satisfied with the sentence. Holloway pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, a felony count of […]

TOP STORY >> Obama flies to base for storm visit

President Barack Obama will land at Little Rock Air Force Base in Jacksonville around 11:30 a.m. today as he prepares to tour tornado-ravaged areas of central Arkansas. Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) invited the president to visit the hardest-hit towns, including Vilonia in Faulkner County. Faulkner County was declared a disaster area two days after the tornado swept through on April […]

SPORTS STORY >> Jackrabbits win district

By RAY BENTON  Leader sports editor The Lonoke Jackrabbits’ baseball team defended its 4A-2 District tournament title Saturday, beating Clinton 11-1 at the Lonoke Ball Park to earn the No. 1 seed in the upcoming East Regional tournament that will also be hosted by Lonoke. Lonoke was already assured of a spot in the regional tournament by winning the regular-season […]

SPORTS STORY >> Falcons roll past Lions, falls to LHS

By RAY BENTON Leader sports editor The North Pulaski Falcons picked up a pair of conference wins last Friday, beating Little Rock McCellan 20-5 and 23-3 at Dupree Park in Jacksonville. Falcon coach Michael Dean put two seniors on the mound for Senior Night, and both came through with one-hitters. Jordan Walters pitched all three innings of the game-one win, […]

SPORTS STORY >> NLR girls get their revenge on Cabot

By GRAHAM POWELL Leader sportswriter North Little Rock got payback for its loss to Cabot in the 7A/6A-East Conference opener back in March with a dominant 11-1 win over the Lady Panthers on Friday at Burns Park. The Lady Charging Wildcats scored three runs in the first inning and four in the third and fourth innings to set their run […]

SPORTS STORY >> Lady Panthers runners-up

By RAY BENTON  Leader sports editor A little bit of bad luck got in the way, but the Cabot girls track team still made a strong push for a conference championship Friday at Panther Stadium. Fort Smith Southside won the meet by a mere five points, 169 to Cabot’s 164. Those two teams left everyone else far behind as Conway […]