Saline River Chronicle

Arkansas strawberries arrive early, signaling start of fruit season

Arkansas strawberries arrive early, signaling start of fruit season

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Arkansans eager for strawberry season have good news: the wait is over. This year, strawberries arrived one to two weeks earlier than usual, with the peak season anticipated for late April or early May. “A typical peak is closer to Mother’s Day, but this year, we’ll peak earlier,” said Amanda McWhirt,…

Breaking ground, building safely: Entergy Arkansas recognizes Safe Digging Month

Breaking ground, building safely: Entergy Arkansas recognizes Safe Digging Month

Little Rock, Ark. – Spring is here and with warmer temperatures on the way, this is the prime season to start home improvement and landscaping projects. April is National Safe Digging Month and Entergy Arkansas is reminding you to call 811 before digging into your list of spring projects. National Safe Digging Month serves as a…

‘Grow Your Farm’ short course coming up in May

‘Grow Your Farm’ short course coming up in May

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The Center for Arkansas Farms and Food will hold a short course on small-scale farming May 3-4. The CAFF Small Farm Short Course titled “Grow Your Farm” provides an intensive two-day workshop with a deep dive into bed building, equipment and transplanting. “We’ll also cover the basics of record keeping, profitability, branding…

Foresters for the Future Scholarship application period open through June 14

Foresters for the Future Scholarship application period open through June 14

LITTLE ROCK, AR – The Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Forestry Division and the University of Arkansas at Monticello (UAM) are pleased to announce that applications for the Foresters for the Future scholarship are now being accepted. The scholarship will provide $4,000 per semester, for four years, to an incoming freshman pursuing a forestry degree at…

Weekly Column from the Arkansas House of Representatives 3-22-24

Weekly Column from the Arkansas House of Representatives 3-22-24

Colorectal cancer stands as one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in the United States. However, the stark reality is that it doesn’t have to be. The month of March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.   In 2021, our General Assembly took a significant step forward in the fight against colorectal cancer by passing Act…

Boozman-led Recycling and Composting Bills pass Senate

Boozman-led Recycling and Composting Bills pass Senate

WASHINGTON – Legislation backed by Senate Recycling Caucus co-chair Senator John Boozman (R-AR) that would improve our nation’s recycling and composting systems unanimously passed the Senate last week. Boozman, along with Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee Chairman Tom Carper (D-DE) and Ranking Member Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), have been leading proponents of the pair of legislative initiatives to enhance recycling…

Preserving our past: Celebrating 116 years of the Ozark National Forest

Preserving our past: Celebrating 116 years of the Ozark National Forest

March 7 holds a special significance in the annals of conservation history. On this day in 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt penned a proclamation that echoed through time, creating what we now know as the Ozark National Forest. This act of preservation marked a pivotal moment in Arkansas’s conservation past, laying the groundwork for the protection…

Roar, soar, and explore at the Little Rock Zoo’s Dragon Kingdom exhibition

Roar, soar, and explore at the Little Rock Zoo’s Dragon Kingdom exhibition

LITTL ROCK – The Year of the Dragon is upon us, and the Little Rock Zoo is ready to celebrate!  The Dragon Kingdom Exhibition kicks off during Spring Break at the Zoo, March 16-24, and continues through Sept. 28. The exhibition includes life-size, animatronic models ranging from 10 to 40 feet. Of course, dragons are mythical creatures, but their real-life distant cousins,…

Celebrating Arkansas’s beloved State Bird: The Mockingbird

Celebrating Arkansas’s beloved State Bird: The Mockingbird

March 5, 2024 marks a significant anniversary in Arkansas history, as we commemorate the adoption of House Concurrent Resolution Number 22 by Governor Harvey Parnell and the Forty-seventh General Assembly on this day in 1929. This resolution declared the mockingbird as the official state bird of Arkansas, a decision that has stood the test of…

Celebrating Arkansas’s first state park: Petit Jean’s enduring legacy

Celebrating Arkansas’s first state park: Petit Jean’s enduring legacy

Nestled within the rugged beauty of the Ozark Mountains, Petit Jean State Park stands as a testament to Arkansas’s rich natural heritage and pioneering spirit. Established on March 1, 1923, by Act 276 of the Arkansas General Assembly, Petit Jean holds the distinction of being the state’s inaugural state park, marking a significant milestone in…

Entergy Arkansas encourages customers to get spring storm ready

Entergy Arkansas encourages customers to get spring storm ready

LITTLE ROCK – Spring weather is welcomed for its sunny skies and cool breezes, but the season has also proven to bring dangerous thunderstorms. Ahead of the seasonal switch, Arkansas has declared Feb. 26 to March 1 as Severe Weather Awareness Week. Entergy Arkansas is encouraging customers to observe the week by making a severe weather…

Remembering the legendary sniper, Gunnery Sergeant Carlos Hathcock

Remembering the legendary sniper, Gunnery Sergeant Carlos Hathcock

In the annals of military history, certain names resonate with awe-inspiring tales of skill, bravery, and unparalleled marksmanship. Among them, the name Gunnery Sergeant Carlos Hathcock stands tall, a legend whose story is etched into the fabric of American military folklore. On this day, February 22, 1999, the world bid farewell to a true American…