Latest Arkansas Headlines

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

Gas Line Explosion in Central Arkansas Injures 4 Workers

Jun 23 2020 // Four workers were injured on June 18 when the gas main they were repairing erupted in flames, officials said. The explosion happened about 1 p.m. at an intersection near a community center and an elementary school in the...

Arkansas AG Sues TV Pastor Bakker over Virus Treatment Claims

Jun 17 2020 // Arkansas’ attorney general has sued Missouri-based TV pastor Jim Bakker over his promotion of a product falsely touted as a cure for the illness caused by the coronavirus.Attorney General Leslie Rutledge filed the...

Arkansas Governor Signs Orders Giving Businesses Virus Lawsuit Protections

Jun 17 2020 // Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson had granted businesses protections from coronavirus lawsuits, while the state’s epidemiologist said she’s concerned loosened restrictions may have caused some to lower their guard...

AM Best Upgrades Ratings of Arkansas’ Kinsale Insurance

Jun 11 2020 // AM Best has upgraded the Financial Strength Rating to A (Excellent) from A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) to “a” from “a-” of Kinsale Insurance Co. (Kinsale), in...

People & Places

May 18 2020 // Scott Kreuzer has been appointed as senior managing director, Americas, at Aspen Re, effective May 4, 2020. Kreuzer joins Aspen Re from Axis Reinsurance, where he has served as senior vice president and head of Casualty...

Governor Vows ‘Consequences’ if Arkansas Theater Proceeds with Concert

May 14 2020 // An Arkansas theater will face consequences that could be enforced by the police if it proceeds with its plan to defy the state’s coronavirus restrictions by holding what could be the country’s first major...

11 Arkansas Counties Declared Disasters after April 12 Tornadoes, Storms

Apr 27 2020 // Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson has declared 11 counties disaster areas in the wake of severe storms and tornadoes on April 12, 2020. The eleven counties are Arkansas, Bradley, Cleveland, Dallas, Drew, Grant, Hot Spring,...

McClain Appointed as Arkansas’ New Insurance Commissioner

Apr 27 2020 // Alan McClain is now Arkansas Insurance Commissioner — its 24th — having been named to lead the Arkansas Insurance Department (AID) by Gov. Asa Hutchinson in early April.He previously has served as Commissioner of...

Arkansas Insurance Dept. to Consumers: Contact Agents About COVID-19 Premium Relief

Apr 16 2020 // The Arkansas Insurance Department is advising auto insurance consumers to contact their insurance agents as to whether their auto insurance carrier is offering premium relief in light of the COVID-19 health crisis.AID has...

300 Homes, Buildings Damaged by Tornadoes in Louisiana

Apr 14 2020 // Though tornadoes were reported in Arkansas, Lousiana and Texas over the Easter weekend, in the South Central region, northern Louisiana bore the brunt of the storm system that swept across the South on Sunday.The weather...

Little Rock, Arkansas, Bans Vehicle Caravans During Outbreak

Apr 8 2020 // Arkansas’ largest city is banning vehicle caravans during the coronavirus outbreak after a large crowd of vehicles gathered over the weekend.Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott announced the executive order on April 6 in...

Assessment: 100s of Homes Damaged, Destroyed in Arkansas Tornado

Apr 1 2020 // Hundreds of homes were damaged or destroyed in an EF-3 tornado that swept through Jonesboro, officials said Monday following damage assessments. Craighead County Judge Marvin Day said about 150 homes were mostly or...

6 Hurt as Tornado Tears Through Arkansas College Town

Mar 30 2020 // A tornado ripped through northeast Arkansas on Saturday, leaving six people hurt after hitting commercial and residential areas in the college town of Jonesboro.The six people reported injured were taken to a local...

Online Flood Insurer, Neptune, Offering Coverage in Arkansas, Illinois

Mar 23 2020 // Neptune Flood Inc., an all-digital, online flood insurance company, has opened for business in Arkansas and Illinois. Households in these states now have access to Neptune’s simple flood insurance solution.Neptune...

Tornado-Bearing Storms Spread Damage Across Parts of Arkansas, Texas

Mar 23 2020 // Severe storms, including at least one possible tornado, struck parts of Arkansas on the evening of March 19, damaging homes and causing widespread damage to trees and power lines.Additionally, the National Weather Service...

Arkansas’ Southern Pioneer P/C Insurance Acquired by Biglari; Ratings Unchanged

Mar 16 2020 // AM Best said the Financial Strength Rating of B++ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) of “bbb” of Southern Pioneer Property and Casualty Insurance Co. (Southern Pioneer), based in...

Arkansas Insurance Commissioner Kerr to Return to Private Sector

Mar 5 2020 // Arkansas Insurance Commissioner Allen Kerr is resigning from his post effective March 27, 2020, to pursue opportunities in the private sector, the state insurance department reported.Kerr was named appointed as insurance...

More than $3M Recovered for Arkansas Insurance Consumers in 2019

Feb 24 2020 // The Arkansas Insurance Department’s Consumer Services Division (CSD) recovered $3,005,606 for consumers in 2019, the department said.Recoveries are dollar amounts recovered in excess of the amounts initially offered...

Ex-Student, University of Arkansas, Settle Rape Lawsuit

Feb 20 2020 // The University of Arkansas and a former student reached a settlement agreement in a lawsuit alleging school officials acted with “deliberate indifference” after she reported being sexually assaulted by another...

Arkansas Health System Sued for Age Discrimination

Feb 10 2020 // White River Health System Inc., a provider of health care services throughout North Central Arkansas, has been sued by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) for age discrimination.In a lawsuit filed on...