Today’s KASU News headlines include possible increases for some Arkansas health insurance plans, a new hearing in the West Memphis Three case, a Van Buren police officer arrested, and Jonesboro High School receiving national recognition from Disney. Plus, a new temporary state capital, a look at Arkansas jobs, and obituaries for two Arkansas figures.
00:00 – Intro
00:30 – Health insurance rates may rise in Arkansas
Premiums for some individual plans, including those on healthcare.gov and Arkansas's Medicaid expansion, could increase by more than 26% in 2026 if state regulators approve proposed rates. About 227,000 Medicaid expansion recipients and 166,000 healthcare.gov enrollees would be affected.
01:16 – Arkansas’s jobless rate holds steady
The state’s unemployment rate remained at 3.7% in June, below the national average. Manufacturing, leisure and hospitality, and trade jobs saw gains, while government jobs dropped due to summer school closures.
01:48 – Defense contractor plans expansion in Camden
L3Harris announces a $500 million expansion in Camden to produce solid rocket motors, creating about 50 new jobs in southern Arkansas.
02:07 – Paragould attorney enters circuit judge race
Curtis Hitt, a longtime attorney and former prosecutor, announces his campaign for Circuit Judge in Arkansas’s Second Judicial District. He brings nearly 30 years of legal experience to the race.
02:40 – Former state lawmaker Uvalde Lindsey dies
Former Senator Uvalde Lindsey, who represented Fayetteville and led the Northwest Arkansas Council, has died at 85. Lindsey served a decade in the Arkansas legislature.
03:07 – Arkansas fashion designer Jamileh Kamran remembered
Jamileh Kamran, founder of the Arkansas Fashion School and designer for public figures including Hillary Clinton, has died at 72. Kamran moved to Arkansas from Iran in 1978 and was a leading figure in state fashion.
03:41 – New hearing on West Memphis Three DNA testing
A hearing is scheduled in Crittenden County Circuit Court regarding DNA testing in the 1993 West Memphis Three case. No DNA has ever linked the original defendants to the killings, and all were released in 2011.
04:06 – Van Buren police officer charged
Arkansas State Police arrest Van Buren police officer Jason Scites on felony charges related to internet stalking of a child. Scites was relieved of duty and faces decertification.
04:37 – Ole Miss football player killed in Tennessee shooting
Authorities say Corey Adams, an Ole Miss freshman football player from New Orleans, was killed in a shooting in Cordova, Tennessee. Four others were injured in the incident.
05:50 – Americans support disaster relief, poll shows
A Pew Research Center poll finds most Americans support increased federal disaster aid as the Trump administration considers changes to FEMA. Missouri recently saw disaster response delays after major floods.
07:01 – Jonesboro High wins Disney on Broadway grant
The Academies at Jonesboro High School is among 21 schools nationwide to receive the Disney on Broadway School of Excellence Grant, allowing students to stage Disney musicals through 2026.
07:30 – Sheridan named Arkansas capital for a day
Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders announces Sheridan as Arkansas’s newest “capital for a day,” spotlighting the city’s history and its lumberjack competition.
07:59 – Rockies defeat Cardinals
In Major League Baseball, the Colorado Rockies beat the St. Louis Cardinals 8–4 with a three-run homer by Ryan McMahon.
