As the University of Arkansas at Little Rock prepares to reopen its newly renovated planetarium in fall 2026, excitement is building across campus for the return of a beloved landmark and the possibilities it represents for the future of science and community connection. Thanks to a $1.2 million gift from Leslye Shellam honoring her late father, Arkansas business leader L. Dickson Flake, the Shellam Flake Planetarium will soon reopen after nearly two decades. But for faculty and students, the reopening is about far more than renovation and technology upgrades.

Contour Airlines is adding service between Dallas-Fort Worth and El Dorado, Arkansas. A regional airline is introducing nonstop service between Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and El Dorado, Arkansas, a business and leisure hub. Contour Airlines will offer two daily roundtrips and an additional roundtrip on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays between DFW and South Arkansas Regional Airport. According to a release, the service will start March 16. El Dorado, once an oil boomtown, is about 95 miles northeast of Shreveport, Louisiana.

More states are requiring their Medicaid programs and health insurance companies to cover non-opioid pain medications as an alternative to opioids, which can be cheaper for insurers but also more addictive for patients. Advocates, providers, medical associations and state lawmakers are pushing for parity in coverage.

PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico -- Fayetteville resident and artist Misha McQuillen Gardner will catch a flight to Houston on Wednesday after being trapped by cartel violence in the Pacific coast resort town of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, since Sunday. Gardner's childhood friend and traveling companion on this trip, who asked not to be named, "got us rebooked to Houston TOMORROW," Gardner posted on social media. "I'll rent a car and drive home" from there, she said, although she is inclined to rest in Houston for the night first, according to her posts.

I have a number of friends who say they are willing to tolerate Donald Trump's obnoxious behavior in return for policies he's enacted that they agree with, thereby providing a fairly succinct definition of what has been called the "transactional" approach to politics. My response is to claim that character is ultimately more important than policy because policy can be changed (and likely will be, jarringly, by the next Democrat in the White House), whereas character, at least for Trump, at this late point, cannot. As such, I've always felt that character and the kind of integrity that goes w

Josiah Cox, of Gonzales, has been named to the University of Arkansas dean's list for the 2025 fall semester. Cox joins a distinguished group of students recognized for outstanding academic achievement by earning a grade-point average of 3.75-3.99 during the semester while completing at least 12 credit hours required for graduation. School of Law students are named to the Law School dean's list by earning a 3.0 grade-point average or higher for the semester. "I'd like to congratulate each student who made the Dean's List for the fall semester," said Provost Indrajeet Chaubey.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- HUGG & HALL EQUIPMENT COMPANY marks its 70th Anniversary and celebrates achievement as a leading equipment dealer in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma with operations in Southern Missouri and East Texas. Just in time for anniversary celebrations, the company is excited to announce recognition for its long-term efforts by Forbes magazine. Hugg & Hall is ranked #6 on Forbes' 2026 America's Best-In-State Companies - Arkansas. "Reaching this milestone of 70 years in business is such an honor.

According to USDA, American hatcheries increased placements of eggs and chicks during the week ending on February 14th. Hatcheries set 254 million eggs in incubators during the week, which the agency said is up 2% year-over-year. The average hatchability, which is the number of chicks hatched by eggs set three weeks earlier, was 79%. Broiler placements totaled 196 million chicks for meat, also a 2% increase. From January 10th-February 14th, placements increased 2% on an annual basis to 1.18 billion. Georgia had the largest number of broiler-type eggs, set at 36.3 billion.

TALLULAH, La., and COTTON PLANT, Ark. -- The water looked like coffee as it ran from the tap. Even simple chores like laundry and dishwashing became nearly impossible, the water running like a medium roast brew from the faucet into the sink of Donald Wood's home, staining clothes and appliances. "I can't recall the number of times I've driven to Vicksburg and rented a motel room just to take a shower," Wood said, a drive of about 30 minutes each way. "Imagine bathing or showering or brushing your teeth in such filth." Wood is a longtime resident of the city of Tallulah.