Latest Arkansas Headlines

All the headlines from our Arkansas Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Louisiana, Arkansas Enact Flooding Emergency Rules

Jun 5 2017 // Both Louisiana and Arkansas recently enacted emergency regulations aimed at protecting insureds in the aftermath of devastating floods in those states.Louisiana’s action extends an emergency rule put in place...

Fake Arkansas Insurance Broker Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison

Jun 1 2017 // An Arkansas man who pretended to be an insurance broker and collected more than $1 million selling fake insurance policies in three states has been sentenced to more than five years in prison, the Arkansas Insurance...

12 States Have Advanced Tougher Distracted Driving Bills This Year

Jun 1 2017 // As auto accidents and fatalities increase on America’s roads, a dozen states have taken legislative action this year to further combat distracted driving.According to an analysis by the Property Casualty Insurers...

Suspicious Fires in Arkansas Targeting Police, Firefighter Properties

May 25 2017 // Authorities in a small Arkansas town say local police and firefighters are being targeted by suspicious fires and vandalism.The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports the incidents in Cotton Plant began in February, when a fire...

Agricultural Flood Damage in Arkansas Estimated at $175M

May 18 2017 // Officials say the estimated impact of agricultural flood damage in Arkansas due to recent severe weather is about $175 million.The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture says the April flooding affected more...

Storm-Related Arkansas Crop Losses Estimated at $64.5M

May 15 2017 // Flooding and severe weather this year have caused an estimated $64.5 million in damage to Arkansas croplands, according to the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.Some 937,000 acres of cropland have been...

Arkansas Woman Pleads Guilty in Fake U-Haul Crash Case

May 8 2017 // An Little Rock woman has negotiated a plea in an insurance fraud case involving a 2015 reported car accident involving a U-Haul rental vehicle and fraudulent insurance claims, Arkansas Insurance Commissioner Allen Kerr...

Arkansas Crop Damage from Floods Pegged at $64.5M

May 8 2017 // Preliminary estimates show that flooding and severe weather have affected more than 900,000 acres of farmland in Arkansas. A report released by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture puts preliminary...

Arkansas Implements 60-Day Premium Payment Extension for Flood Victims

May 8 2017 // Arkansas Insurance Commissioner Allen Kerr announced a 60-day moratorium on the cancellation/non-renewal of insurance policies for the non-payment of premiums by Arkansans residing in counties declared a disaster by Gov....

Midwest Flood Crisis Remains as Officials Warn of Floodwater Risks

May 5 2017 // River levels fell on May 4 after record and near-record flooding in parts of the Midwest, but the crisis is far from over. Officials have not said when hundreds of residents displaced from flooded properties in suburban...

Number of Arkansas Storm-Related Fatalities Rises to 5

May 2 2017 // A north-central Arkansas volunteer fire chief died after being struck by a vehicle early on April 30 while working as heavy thunderstorms moved through, one of five confirmed storm-related fatalities in the state, an...

Storms Leave Trail of Destruction in Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas

May 1 2017 // Severe storms including tornadoes have swept through several small towns in East Texas, leaving a trail of overturned vehicles, mangled trees and damaged homes.Authorities believe as many as five people were killed and...

NFP Acquires Arkansas’ Thomas Insurance Agency

Apr 10 2017 // National insurance broker and consultant, NFP, has acquired The Thomas Insurance Agency of Benton Inc. in Benton, Ark. Thomas Insurance Agency is a property/casualty insurance broker that provides commercial and personal...

Arkansas Health Plan Panel Recommends Limits on Coverage for Opioids

Apr 6 2017 // An Arkansas health panel has recommended limiting coverage of opioid prescriptions in health plans that cover tens of thousands of state employees and teachers.The recommendations, which are aimed at curbing drug...

Analysis: Uncertainty Helps Keep Arkansas Medicaid Expansion Alive

Apr 3 2017 // One of the biggest accomplishments of the Arkansas legislative session that’s wrapping up is what didn’t happen. For the first time since the program was created four years ago, there was little to no drama...

USGS Forecasts Lower Overall Seismic Hazard for Oklahoma in 2017

Apr 3 2017 // Oklahoma experienced fewer earthquakes last year compared with 2015 and a recent study of human-induced earthquakes predicts another year of reduced seismicity for the state in 2017.The U.S. Geological Survey warns,...

USGS Lowers Seismic Hazard Forecast for Oklahoma in 2017

Mar 31 2017 // Oklahoma experienced fewer earthquakes last year compared with 2015 and a recent study of human-induced earthquakes predicts another year of reduced seismicity for the state in 2017.The U.S. Geological Survey warns,...

Shell Bill Filed in Arkansas Would Allow Alternate Workers’ Comp System

Mar 29 2017 // An Arkansas state senator has filed a bill that would create an alternate system for benefits to injured workers.As yet, SB 653 by Sen. David J. Sanders contains no specifics beyond a statement of purpose, which is...

Little Rock, Arkansas, Now Offers DWI Sobriety Court Option

Mar 29 2017 // Little Rock, Ark., has started a sobriety court program that treats certain people charged with driving while intoxicated.The yearlong intensive program allows “hardcore DWI offenders” to choose that option...

New Arkansas Law Expands Where Concealed Guns Allowed

Mar 23 2017 // Arkansas’ governor has signed a sweeping gun rights measure into law that will allow concealed handguns at state colleges, some bars, government buildings and even the state Capitol.The measure approved by Republican...