Arkansas

The Interstate 40 bridge linking Arkansas and Tennessee fully reopened Monday ahead of schedule following repairs to a crack that had shut down the span since early May.

Anyone traveling from Arkansas or Missouri to Chicago will now either have to have a negative COVID test or be quarantined for 10 days upon arrival.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced Monday (June 21) the creation of the Arkansas Office of Outdoor Recreation and the expansion of outdoor recreation in the state that includes an agreement with the U.S. Forest Service.

More than one in five children in Arkansas continue to live in poverty according to analysis based on Census data from the year 2019.

U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg traveled to Tennessee on Thursday to learn how the closure of the Interstate 40 bridge connecting that state and Arkansas has affected freight movement since it was shut down more than three weeks ago when a crack was found in the span.

Governor Asa Hutchinson joins Governor Bill Lee of Tennessee and other officials in Memphis to discuss the status of the Interstate 40 Bridge between Arkansas and Tennessee. Watch the livestream of the press conference being held from the I-40 Welcome Center in Memphis.

Transportation officials said repairs could take months after the bridge was closed Tuesday following the discovery of a crack in a steel beam during an inspection.

Anti-hunger advocates say more innovative strategies are needed for making sure children in remote, rural parts of the state have continued access to nourishing food amid the pandemic. Comments from two Save the Children officials: Audrey Freshwater, Arkansas deputy director; and Tamara Sandberg, U.S. advisor for food security and nutrition.

Attorney General Leslie Rutledge, R-Ark., had a busy week centered around rulings involving the U.S. Supreme Court. Arkansas’ top legal officer won a landmark lawsuit before the high court involving the pharmacy benefits manager (PBM) industry.

Experts say the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed serious gaps in the country’s healthcare system, and are urging state and local governments to examine lessons learned and increase their preparedness for the next public health crisis. Comments from Dr. Helen Boucher (boo-CHEY), chief of the Division of Geographic Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Tufts Medical Center.