Friday in Arkansas

Legislature: No meetings scheduled.
Governor Beebe: No official events scheduled today.
Lt. Gov. Halter: No official events scheduled today.
Atty. Gen. McDaniel: No official events scheduled today.
The Association of Arkansas Counties 2007 Annual Conference concludes in HS today.

Looking for something to do today?
Eureka Springs: Culinary class at 10:00 am (10 Woolridge);
Little Rock: 2nd Friday art night (Historic Arkansas Museum)
Several of the weekend festivals begin today -- I'll put those in a different post.

6:00 p.m.: Downtown Texarkana monthly cruise-in. Free admission (Wellworth five and dime)

Salt Lake Tribune: Microphone picks up no sign of miners
Washington Post: Credit crunch in U.S. upends global markets
Washington Post: Bush rejects gas tax to fund bridge repair
AP via New York Times: Thompson plans initial foray into Iowa
Associated Press: Huckabee predicts strong finish in Iowa straw poll
Associated Press: Pryor: Health surveys comes with possible deployment of 39th

Ark. News Bureau: PSC begins hearing on proposed coal plant
Ark. Democrat-Gazette: Power plant’s backers in majority at hearing
Ark. News Bureau: Lawmakers to participate in hunger challenge
Ark. Democrat-Gazette: Daly on the PGA leaderboard after Day 1
Arkansas News Bureau: AEDC to get new film office director
Ark. News Bureau: Bolick says Ark. bridges similar to collapsed MN span OK
Ark. News Bureau: AT&T to invest $28 million in Arkansas in 2007
Associated Press: Plant making fire-resistant garage doors goes up in flames
Ark. Democrat-Gazette: McLarty recalls his years as politician, top adviser
Ark. Democrat-Gazette: MLK panel to interview 2 top-spot finalists again
Ark. Democrat-Gazette: State judicial pension plan reports gain
KATV: State advisory committee encouraged by foundation grant

The formal, intricate debate over the future of Southwestern Electric Power Co.’s proposed 600-megawatt, coal-fueled power plant in Hempstead County began Thursday with hours of opening statements and public commentary. [Texarkana Gazette]

Attorneys on both sides of the debate began sparring Thursday morning in a session before the PSC which was largely preliminary as a result of Hochstetter's recusal from the hearing process, and the rescheduling of principal testimony to Aug. 20. [Hope Star]

What a glowing picture Mrs. McCellon-Allen painted of her Ohio-based company (SWEPCO, owned and operated by AEP)! You’d think everybody was elbowing others out of the way to breathe the ultra-pristine air their coal plants are belching out. [Texarkana Gazette (letter to the editor by Sherry Potts)]

The case brought by the Forrest City Advertising and Promotion Commission against the Forrest City City Council has been sent back to St. Francis County Circuit Court, where it was first filed. [Forrest City Times Herald]

The Arkansas Supreme Court could hear arguments in the appeal of the case pitting Arnell Willis against Jack Crumbly and the members of the St. Francis County Election Commission. [Forrest City Times Herald]

Texarkana, Ark., is hoping a hammer and a few nails will help give young adults the direction some of them need. Recently the city was awarded a $400,000 YouthBuild grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. [Texarkana Gazette]


Attorneys for two Arkansas newspapers will argue before a judge today that the public knows many details about the backgrounds of three young Hispanics charged in a May 2006 road rage murder -- including an allegation of gang membership -- so sealing documents and closing pretrial hearings is largely unnecessary. [NWA Morning News]

XNA lands airline maintenance [Benton County Daily Record]

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette: The Fighting Judge wins
Meredith Oakley: All have the right
Pine Bluff Commercial: Nanotechnology: Looking to the future
Northwest Arkansas Times: One big mess
Texarkana Gazette: Luck and the IRS
Malvern Daily Record: Don't get excited: gas isn't cheap
Russellville Courier: Good way to get ready for school
Arkansas Leader: Coal burning filthy idea